Expression and Significance of the Wip1 Proto-oncogene inColorectal Cancer

Aim: To investigate the level of expression of proto-oncogene Wip1 and its physiological significance incolorectal cancer.
Methods: Immunohistochemistry, semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and Western blotting were usedto analyze Wip1 mRNA and protein expression in 120 cases of colorectal cancer and normal tissues to studyrelationships with clinical symptoms and disease prognosis.
Results: The level of Wip1 protein expression wasfound to be significantly higher in colorectal cancer tissues (85% (102/120)) than in normal tissues (30% (36/120))(P < 0.05). The relative amount of Wip1 protein in colorectal cancer tissue was also found to be significantlyhigher (P < 0.05) than in normal tissues (1.060±0.02 and 0.640±0.023, respectively). Semi-quantitative RT-PCRshowed average Wip1 mRNA expression levels to be 1.113 ±0.018 and 0.658±0.036 for colorectal cancer tissue andadjacent normal tissue (P < 0.05). The level of Wip1 protein expression was not correlated with age, gender, ortumor site, but appeared linked with lymph node metastasis, Dukes stage, histological grade, and liver metastasis.Individuals with high and low levels of Wip1 expression showed statistically significant differences in the five-yearoverall survival and recurrence-free survival rates (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Wip1 mRNA and protein are highlyexpressed in colorectal cancers and may be associated with colorectal cancer development and progression.