Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to investigate the expression and significance of the anti-apoptotic gene Bag-1 in colorectal cancer and to evaluate the relationship between the gene and the disease. METHODS: Bag-1 expression was examined in 320 colorectal cancer and 30 normal colorectal tissue samples using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the immunohistochemical staining (streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method. RESULTS: Using RT-PCR, Bag-1 was observed to be expressed in colorectal cancer tissues, but not in normal colorectal tissues. The expression of Bag-1 in colorectal cancer was closely correlated with pathologic grade, distant metastasis, Dukes stage, and prognosis, but it was not correlated with the pathologic type, tumor diameter, depth of invasion, and lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSION: Bag-1 protein was found to be overexpressed in colorectal cancer. They might be regarded as a biomarker for the diagnosis of the early stages of colorectal cancer. In addition, they have particular significance for the prognosis of colorectal cancer.