Downregulation of caspase-9 is a frequent event in patients with stage II colorectal cancer and correlates with poor clinical outcome

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the clinical significance of caspase-9 mRNA expression and investigate its prognostic value in stage II colorectal cancer.

Method: Quantitative real-time RT-PCR was used to analyse caspase-9 mRNA expression in cancer tissue and corresponding normal mucosa from 120 patients.

Results: Compared with normal mucosa, the expression of caspase-9 mRNA was found to be downregulated in cancer tissue (P = 0.001). Poorly differentiated cancer showed lower mRNA expression than cancer with greater differentiation (P = 0.031). The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that patients with downregulated caspase-9 showed a worse overall survival (P = 0.012) and disease-free survival (P = 0.022). Cox's proportional hazards regression model confirmed that expression of caspase-9 was the strongest prognostic factor in stage II colorectal cancer.

Conclusion: The mRNA expression of caspase-9 can be used as an independent prognostic factor for patients with stage II colorectal cancer.