Loss of SDC1 expression is associated with poor prognosis of colorectal cancer patients in northern China

Abstract

Background. Syndecan-1 (SDC1/CD138) is a key cell surface adhesion molecule essential for maintaining cell morphology and the interactions with the surrounding microenvironment. SDC1 tumor immunoexpression may be increased or decreased in epithelial malignant neoplasms compared to that in adjacent non-neoplastic tissue, depending on the type of carcinoma, and it has been correlated with various clinicopathological parameters and patient prognosis. SDC1 expression is decreased in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissue, but the relationship between prognosis and SDC1 expression in CRC patients is controversial. Methods. In this study, SDC1 expression was detected in 65 adjacent non-neoplastic colorectal tissues, 477 CRCs, and 79 metastatic lymph nodes using tissue microarray. Results. The data show that SDC1 decreased in CRC tissues (p ≤ 0.001) and metastatic lymph node tissues (p ≤ 0.001) compared to that in adjacent non-neoplastic colorectal tissues. Loss of SDC1 protein expression is associated with poor overall (p < 0.0001) and disease-free survival (p < 0.0001), differentiation (p = 0.017), stage (p ≤ 0.001), and lymph node metastasis (p ≤ 0.001) in CRC patients. Conclusions. These data suggest that the loss of SDC1 plays an important role in CRC malignant progression. Loss of SDC1 expression indicates poor prognosis in patients from northern China with CRC.