Expression of the p65 gene in patients with colorectal cancer: comparison with some histological typing, grading and clinical staging

Aims. P65 protein/gene is a potential, non-specific tumour marker expressed by different types of neoplasms. In this study p65 gene expression was estimated in a group of colorectal cancers and compared with some histological features, grading and clinical staging of the neoplasms to assess its role as a prognostic marker for colorectal cancer. Methods. 109 pairs of frozen samples of colorectal carcinomas and adjacent normal colorectal mucosa and four samples of tissue from patients without neoplastic diseases were analysed by means of RT-PCR. Results. Expression of p65 gene was found in 51 out of 109 cases of colorectal cancers. For 19 of them expression of examined gene was observed both in cancer and corresponding healthy mucosa. p65 Gene expression was associated with more advanced tumours (T3, T4; p=0.0003) with metastases to lymph nodes (N1, N2; p=0.0003) and distant metastases (p=0.0005). We did not find association between the age, gender, tumour localization, histological type and p65 gene expression. Conclusions. p65 Gene expression in primary tumour tissue is associated with poor prognosis for the patients with colorectal cancer in this series.