Identification of ANXA1 as a diagnostic and lymphatic metastasis factor in colorectal cancer

Objective: To determine whether ANXA1 can be served as biomarker for diagnosis in colorectal cancer (CRC) and analyse the correlation of ANXA1 and clinicopathological parameters of CRC patients. Methods: Tissue array (n=95) CRC specimens were utilised in this study. ANXA1 in cancer and non-cancerous tissues were detected immunohistochemically. The correlations between ANXA1 and clinicopathological parameters of CRC were evaluated. Concentrations of ANXA1 in peripheral blood were detected by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: ANXA1 was upregulated in CRC tissues than that in non-cancerous tissues (P <0.05). The mean value for ANXA1 level in peripheral blood of CRC patients was significantly higher than that of healthy individuals (P <0.05). Increased ANXA1 was observed in deeper tumor invasion, lymphatic metastasis and late TNM stage of CRC patients. Conclusions: ANXA1 increased in CRC tissues and in peripheral blood of CRC patients. In addition, increased ANXA1 was correlated with deeper tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis and late TNM stage of CRC patients. Our findings would provide new insights into significant of ANXA1 in diagnosis and lymphatic metastasis of CRC. The underlying mechanism of ANXA1 in CRC progress will be further explored. *Correspondence to: Zu-An Zhu, Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, 84 Huai-Hai Western Road, Xuzhou, 221000, Jiangsu Province, China, Tel: +86 15852162813; E-mail: zhuzuanliu@126.com