The Expression of LFA-1, MMP-9, and Dicer1 in The Histological Grading of Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the most common cancers in many Asian countries, alongside lung and breast cancer. Tumor dissemination to the organs, particularly the liver, contributed to the mortality of this disease. The β2 subunit of lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) was revealed to cause impairments in liver endothelial activation, cytokines release, and tumor cell retention in the liver of CRC in the in vivo study. Epigenetic and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 are essential for CRC progression and poor prognosis. Tumor differentiation grade correlates with TNM staging, prognostic factors, patient survival, and lymph node metastasis. This study aimed to investigate the expression of the β2 subunit of LFA-1, MMP-9, and Dicer1 in the histological grading of CRC. A total of 38 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) CRC samples were classified into low-grade, high-grade, and histology variants. Tissue samples were processed for qRT-PCR to examine the β2 subunit of LFA-1 expression and immunohistological staining to evaluate Dicer1 and MMP-9 expression. The results show that the expression of LFA-1 was significantly higher in high-grade compared to low-grade (p<0.05), except for mucinous type adenocarcinoma. In contrast, no significant difference was found in Dicer1 and MMP-9 expressions of all grades of CRC (p>0.05). In addition, no significant correlation (p>0.05) was found between Dicer1 expression and LFA-1 and MMP-9. In conclusion, the expression of LFA-1 is upregulated in high-grade tumors; however, Dicer1 and MMP-9 expressions are not correlated with the histological grade.