Distribution and morphological characteristics of CD44+/SOX2+ cancer stem cells in colorectal carcinoma

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2017.09.004

Abstract

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: CD44 is commonly used as a marker of colorectal cancer stem cells. In recent years, it is found that transcription factor SOX2 is a potential marker of colorectal cancer stem cells.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the number, distribution and morphological characteristics of CD44⁺/SOX2⁺ cells in colorectal cancer, and to explore whether CD44⁺/SOX2⁺ is a marker of colorectal cancer stem cells.

METHODS: Immunehistochemical double staining method was used to observe the number and distribution of CD44⁺/SOX2⁺ cells in 10 cases of normal intestinal mucosa, 20 cases of colorectal adenoma and 88 cases of cancer tissue specimens. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the morphological characteristics of CD44⁺/SOX2⁺ cells in colorectal cancer tissues.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Immunehistochemical double staining showed that: there were no CD44⁺/SOX2⁺ cells in normal intestinal mucosa, a very small amount of CD44⁺/SOX2⁺ cells in colorectal adenoma, and a small amount of CD44⁺/SOX2⁺ cells in colorectal carcinoma. The CD44⁺/SOX2⁺ cells in highly and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma were scattered or distributed focally in the basal part of crypt or along the co-walled gland. In poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, they were scattered or distributed focally in other cancer cells. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that the CD44⁺/SOX2⁺ cells were small, round or oval structure , with less cytoplasm, large nuclear, obvious nucleolus, and the mitotic phenomenon was rarely seen. There was no correlation between the expression of CD44⁺/SOX2⁺ and age, gender, location, depth of invasion in colorectal cancer patients; there was a negative correlation with differentiation and a positive correlation with TNM staging, distant metastasis. To conclude, CD44⁺/SOX2⁺ cells are in line with the characteristics of tumor stem cells in terms of distribution and morphology character, and CD44⁺/SOX2⁺ may be a marker of colorectal cancer stem cells.

中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：干细胞；骨髓干细胞；造血干细胞；脂肪干细胞；肿瘤干细胞；胚胎干细胞；脐带脐血干细胞；干细胞诱导；干细胞分化；组织工程

Key words: Colorectal Neoplasms, Neoplastic Stem Cells, Antigens, CD44, SOX Transcription Factors, Tissue Engineering

CLC Number:

R394.2

Yuan Hang, Liu Bin, Tie Ya-teng, Sun Ya-min, Xin Qing, Su Qin-jun, Li Shuang-ming. Distribution and morphological characteristics of CD44⁺/SOX2⁺ cancer stem cells in colorectal carcinoma[J]. Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research, 2017, 21(9): 1329-1333.

Figures/Tables 3

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