Nestin and CD34 expression in colorectal cancer predicts improved overall survival

Authors

  • Athanasios Tampakis Clarunis, University Centre for Gastrointestinal and Liver Disorders, Department of Visceral Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  • Benjamin Weixler Clarunis, University Centre for Gastrointestinal and Liver Disorders, Department of Visceral Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, Charité University Hospital, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
  • Silvan Rast Clarunis, University Centre for Gastrointestinal and Liver Disorders, Department of Visceral Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  • Ekaterini-Christina Tampaki National Organization for the Provision of Healthcare Services, Department of Planning and Monitoring of Medicines Dispencing, Medicines Division, Athens, Greece; 2nd Department of Propedeutic Surgery, Athens University Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, Athens, Greece
  • Eleonora Cremonesi Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  • Venkatesh Kancherla Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  • Nadia Tosti Clarunis, University Centre for Gastrointestinal and Liver Disorders, Department of Visceral Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  • Christoph Kettelhack Clarunis, University Centre for Gastrointestinal and Liver Disorders, Department of Visceral Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  • Charlotte K. Y. Ng Department of Biomedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
  • Tarik Delko Clarunis, University Centre for Gastrointestinal and Liver Disorders, Department of Visceral Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  • Savas D. Soysal Clarunis, University Centre for Gastrointestinal and Liver Disorders, Department of Visceral Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  • Urs von Holzen Indiana University School of Medicine South Bend, Goshen Center for Cancer Care, Goshen, IN, USA; Harper Cancer Research Institute, South Bend, IN, USA; School of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  • Evangelos Felekouras 1st Department of Propedeutic Surgery, Athens University Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, Athens, Greece
  • Nikolaos Nikiteasd 2nd Department of Propedeutic Surgery, Athens University Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, Athens, Greece
  • Martin Bolli Clarunis, University Centre for Gastrointestinal and Liver Disorders, Department of Visceral Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  • Luigi Tornillo Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  • Luigi Terracciano Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  • Serenella Eppenberger-Castori Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  • Giulio C. Spagnoli Istituto CNR “Translational Pharmacology”, Rome, Italy
  • Salvatore Piscuoglio Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Biomedicine, Visceral Surgery Research Laboratory, Clarunis, Basel, Switzerland
  • Markus von Flüe Clarunis, University Centre for Gastrointestinal and Liver Disorders, Department of Visceral Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland;l Department of Biomedicine, Visceral Surgery Research Laboratory, Clarunis, Basel, Switzerland
  • Silvio Däster Clarunis, University Centre for Gastrointestinal and Liver Disorders, Department of Visceral Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  • Raoul A. Droeser Clarunis, University Centre for Gastrointestinal and Liver Disorders, Department of Visceral Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1080/0284186X.2021.1891280

Keywords:

Nestin, CD34, colorectal cancer, tumor microenvironment, hypoxia associated immune response

Abstract

Background

Nestin, a class VI intermediate filament protein of the cytoskeleton, and CD34, a transmembrane phosphoglycoprotein, are markers of progenitor cells. This study aimed to evaluate their expression and clinical significance in colorectal cancer.

Methods

A clinically annotated tissue microarray, including 599 patients with colorectal cancer, was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, nestin and CD34 correlations with HIF-1a and a panel of cytokines and chemokines were assessed using quantitative reverse transcription PCR and The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset.

Results

Expression of nestin and CD34 was observed only in the tumor stroma. Patients displaying high expression of nestin and CD34 demonstrated higher rates of T1 and T2 tumors (p = .020), lower vascular invasion (p < .001) and improved 5-year overall survival (65%; 95% CI = 55–73 vs 45%; 95% CI = 37–53) after adjusting for clinicopathological characteristics (HR: 0.67; 95% CI = 0.46–0.96). A moderate to strong correlation (r = 0.37–0.78, p < .03) of nestin and CD34 was demonstrated for the following markers; HIF-1α, CD4, CD8, FOXP3, IRF1, GATA3, CCL2, CCL3, CXCL12 and CCL21.

Conclusions

Combined expression of nestin and CD34 expression is associated with better overall survival possibly by modulating a favorable immune response.

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Published

2021-06-03

How to Cite

Tampakis, A., Weixler, B., Rast, S., Tampaki, E.-C., Cremonesi, E., Kancherla, V., … Droeser, R. A. (2021). Nestin and CD34 expression in colorectal cancer predicts improved overall survival. Acta Oncologica, 60(6), 727–734. https://doi.org/10.1080/0284186X.2021.1891280

Issue

Vol. 60 No. 6 (2021): Acta Oncologica

Section

Articles