ABSTRACT
Objective To detect p27 expression in rectal carcinoma and serum transforming growth factor ? 1 (TGF ? 1) level in these patients, and to elucidate the modulatory effect of serum TGF ?1 on p27 expression in rectal carcinoma. Methods Expression of p27 was measured in 37 cases of rectal carcinoma, 22 of rectal adenoma and 19 of normal control specimens by immunohistochemical staining using antibodies to p27. Serum level of TGF ?1 was measured in these patients by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Results p27 protein was expressed in normal rectal tissue, rectal adenoma and rectal carcinoma, and the positive rate was 89.47%, 90.91% and 64.87%, respectively. The positive rate of p27 in rectal carcinoma was significantly lower than that of normal rectal tissue and rectal adenoma ( P =0.025). p27 was mainly located in nucleolus of normal rectal tissue and rectal adenoma, and the positive rate of p27 in cytoplasm of rectal carcinoma was higher than that of normal and rectal adenoma. The positives rates of serum TGF ?1 in normal group, rectal adenoma group and rectal carcinoma group were 21.05%, 27.27% and 51.35%( P =0.045),respectively. The expression of p27 related to histological differentiation, lymph node metastasis and infiltration depth. Serum level of TGF ?1 related to lymph node metastasis, infiltrated depth and CEA level. The positive rate of p27 in TGF ?1 negative group and positive group was 88.89% and 42.11%(Mantel Haenszel ? 2=6.755, P =0.009), respectively. Conclusion TGF ?1 may be useful in assessment of malignance and prognosis of rectal carcinoma. TGF ?1 can down regulate p27 expression in rectal carcinoma.
