Conclusion
Our results suggest a strong relationship between CSC marker Lgr5 and vascular invasion, presence of lymph-node metastasis, and overall poor survival. The presence of Lgr5 might be an unfavorable prognostic factor, and its high level in cancer tissue is related to an aggressive course. This marker could also be used to access the effectiveness of the treatment.
Methods
The study was performed on tissue samples which were collected from 89 patients undergoing colectomy. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks with representative tumor areas were identified and corded. Immunohistochemical staining was performed using anti-CD44, anti-LGR5, anti-ANXA2, and anti-DCLK1 antibodies. The H-score system was utilized to determine the immunointensity of CRC cells.
Results
The lower expression of Lgr5 was significantly correlated with the presence of lymph-node metastases (p = 0.011), while high expression of Lgr5 was statistically significant in vascular invasion in examined cancer tissue samples (p = 0.027). Moreover, a high H-score value of Lgr5 expression was significantly related to a reduced overall survival rate (p = 0.043).