The Role of CD24 in Colonic Adenocarcinoma

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: CD24 is a small, heavily glycosylated glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked cell surface protein that is expressed in hematologic malignancies and in a large variety of solid tumors. It appears to function as a ligand of P-selectin, an adhesion molecule that is present in activated platelets and endothelial cells. We aimed to evaluate CD24 protein expression in adenomas and adenocarcinomas of the colon and to correlate it to clinicopathological data. METHODS: Adenomas and adenocarcinomas of the colon were stained for CD24 immunohistochemically. For statistical analysis, the staining was categorized according to stainability (negative, weakly, moderately, strongly positive) and staining patterns (membranous vs. intracytoplasmic). RESULTS: The present study clearly demonstrated that CD24 was much more abundantly expressed for adenocarcinomas than for adenomas in the colon (P <0.05). A higher significant association of cytoplasmic CD24 expression was observed with adenocarcinomas of the colon than with adenomas of the colon (P <0.05) and with positive nodal status of the colonic adenocarcinoma than with negative nodal status of the colonic adenocarcinoma (P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The stainability and the staining pattern of CD24 is an important molecular marker for colonic epithelial neoplasms and may help to define malignant transformation and to predict lymph-node metastasis.