The expression of STAT3, BCL-XL AND MMP-2 proteins in colon adenocarcinomas and their relationship with prognostic factors

Colon adenocarcinomas are the most common malignancy of gastrointestinal tract and and create the %98 of all colorectal carcinomas. Many important factors are described in the prognosis. Histological grade and stage of the tumour, lymph node metastasis and DNA ploidy are some of these. In our study we aimed to determine the relationship between STAT3, Bcl-xL and MMP-2 expression and prognostic factors. In our study, 45 colon adenocarcinomas (15 well, 15 medium degree and 15 poorly differentiated) and 15 normal colon mucosa samples were selected randomly. To the samples, STAT3, Bcl-xL and MMP-2 as immunohystochemicals were applied and the correlation between degrees of differentiation, tumor size, lymph node metastasis and these markers were evaluated. There was a relationship between the normal mucosa and carcinoma group at the intensity and diffusiveness of STAT3 staining (p<0.05), but not at Bcl-xL (p>0,05). The difference between diffusiveness of STAT3 and the degrees of differentiation was significant (p<0.05). There was no relationship between intensity and diffusiveness of STAT3 staining and tumor size and lymph node metastasis (p>0.05). The relationship between the intensity and diffusiveness of Bcl-xL staining and tumor size and lymph node metastasis was not statistically significant (p>0.05). The intensity of MMP-2 differed significantly between the normal mucosa and the carcinoma group and the degrees of differentiation (p<0.05). There was a negative correlation between the diffusiveness of MMP-2 and tumour size (r= -0,318). In conclusion, STAT3 expression was significantly different between the normal mucosa and carcinoma group and at the degrees of differentiation, but not at Bcl-xL. There was no difference at the diffusiveness of MMP-2 between normal mucosa and carcinoma group and at the degrees of differentiation but differences were noted at the intensity of MMP-2. In the relationship between these markers and tumor size and lymph nod metastasis, only the diffusiveness of MMP-2 had a negative correlation with tumour size. Key words: Colorectal carcinoma, STAT3, Bcl-xL, MMP-2, prognostic factors