GI, Liver & Pancreas Pathology
Dina Mohamed Allam; Hend Ahmed Kasem; Amira Hegazy; Shereen Fathy Mahmoud
Abstract
Background & Objective: Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-caused death worldwide and constitutes about 6.48% of all malignancies in Egypt. Studying the molecular profile of CRC is essential for developing targeted therapies. STAT3 and CTLA4 expression are among the molecular ...
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Background & Objective: Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-caused death worldwide and constitutes about 6.48% of all malignancies in Egypt. Studying the molecular profile of CRC is essential for developing targeted therapies. STAT3 and CTLA4 expression are among the molecular abnormalities claimed to cause CRC progression and chemo-resistance. Therefore, they could be used as potential therapeutic targets. This study aimed to evaluate pSTAT3 and CTLA4 expression levels and their possible roles as prognostic and predictive biomarkers in CRC using immunohistochemistry (IHC).Methods: This retrospective study included 113 CRC patients. Tissue microarrays were constructed, followed by pSTAT3 and CTLA4 antibodies immunostaining. Their expression was assessed and compared with clinicopathological parameters and survival data.Results: Both pSTAT3 and CTLA4 overexpression were significantly associated with poor prognostic parameters, such as the presence of distant metastasis (P=0.02 & 0.03), high grade (P<0.001 & 0.03), high mitotic count (P<0.001 & 0.03), high tumor budding group (P=0.008 & 0.04), infiltrating tumor border (P<0.001 & 0.007) respectively, and advanced pathological stage with pSTAT3 (P=0.02). A significant association was found between overexpression of both markers and short overall survival. Correlations between the H-score of pSTAT3 and CTLA4 in CRC showed a significant positive correlation (P<0.001).Conclusion: STAT3 and CTLA4 positivity have been linked to the development and progression of CRC, and they may provide potential prognostic indicators and therapeutic targets for CRC patients.
