Relationship of expression of APAF-1 and COX-2 with pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma
Department of Radiation Oncology,First Affiliated Hospital,Sun Yat-Sen University,Guangzhou 510080,China (Peng HH,Zhang T,Dong J,Wang CT,Wen BX);Department of Radiation Oncology (Yu X,You KY,Gao YH), Department of Pathology (Xi SHY,Cai MY,Zhang HZH),Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center,State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China,Guangzhou 510060,China;Department of Radiation Oncology,Cancer Center of Guangzhou Medical University,Guangzhou 510075,China (Peng HH)
Abstract： Objective To investigate the relationship of expression of apoptosis protease-activating factor 1(APAF-1) and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) with pathologic complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (neo-CRT) for locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma. Methods Paraffin-embedded tumor tissue sections were collected from 82 patients with locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma who received neo-CRT and radical surgery from 2005 to 2012. Immunohistochemical assay was used to determine the expression of APAF-1 and COX-2. Postoperative pathological tissue sections were reassessed for evaluation of tumor regression grade (0-4, pCR=4) after radiochemotherapy. The relationship of expression of APAF-1 and COX-2 with pCR was analyzed by chi-square test or Fisher′s exact test. Logistic regression analysis was used to predict the influencing factors for pCR. Results The numbers of patients with grade 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 tumor regression were 0, 6(7%), 33(40%), 20(24%), and 23(28%), respectively. Patients with high expression of APAF-1 had a significantly higher incidence of pCR than those with low expression of APAF-1(37% vs. 17%, P=0.047), while patients with low expression of COX-2 had a significantly higher incidence of pCR than those with high expression of COX-2(38% vs. 15%, P=0.028). Patients with high expression of APAF-1 and low expression of COX-2 had a significantly higher incidence of pCR than patients with high expression of APAF-1 and COX-2, patients with low expression of APAF-1 and COX-2, and patients with low expression of APAF-1 and high expression of COX-2(56% vs. 14%;56% vs. 17%;56% vs. 15%;P=0.005). The expression of APAF-1 was positively correlated with pCR (P=0.042), while the expression of COX-2 was negatively correlated with pCR (P=0.024). ConclusionsThe expression of APAF-1 and COX-2 is correlated with pCR to neo-CRT for locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma. The measurement of expression of both APAF-1 and COX-2 holds promise for prediction of pCR.
. Relationship of expression of APAF-1 and COX-2 with pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma[J]. Chinese Journal of Radiation Oncology, 2016, 25(5): 462-466.
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2016, Vol. 25 
