Clinical significance of levels of molecular biological markers in zones of invasive front-line of colorectal cancer.

The role of expression of markers (beta-catenin, matrix metalloproteinase 9, collagen IV, and laminin) in primary colorectal adenocarcinomas and their metastases in the liver and lymph nodes of patients with colorectal cancer was studied. High level of matrix metalloproteinase 9 expression in zones of invasive growth of colorectal cancer was associated with high accumulation of beta-catenin in cancer cell nuclei in the peripheral zones of 30% studied tumors. The presence of nuclear beta-catenin and high content of matrix metalloproteinase 9 in the tumor were associated with abnormal accumulation of laminin in the cytoplasm and with the absence of basal membranes containing collagen IV. These changes were characteristic of colorectal cancer with high invasive metastatic potential. It was found that beta-catenin, matrix metalloproteinase 9, laminin, and collagen IV were important markers for prediction of the clinical course of colorectal cancer. The expression of proteins associated with risk of metastases in the liver was coordinated and most pronounced in zone of invasive front-line of tumors.