Downregulation of FLNa and RUNx3 Expression are Involved in the Progression of Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Disease

To study the expressions of Filamin A (FLNa) and RUNx3 in human Colorectal Adenocarcinoma (CRA) tissues and explore their correlation with the initiation and progression of colorectal adenocarcinoma. The expression levels of FLNa and RUNx3 protein in the samples which came from 80 patients of CRA tissues and adjacent normal colorectal tissues (10 cm distance away from the margin of CRA) were examined by using immunohistochemical Streptavidin-Peroxidase (S-P) Method, Western-blotting and Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). The correlation between their expression and the clinic pathologic features was analyzed. The positive rates of FLNa and RUNx3 in CRA tissues were 52.5% (42/80) and 46.3% (37/80), respectively while in adjacent normal colorectal tissues they were 87.5% (70/80) and 91.3% (73/80), respectively. The difference was significant (p<0.0000). Expression of FLNa was related positively with expression of RUNx3 in CRA tissues (r = 0.358, p = 0.0002). Expression levels of FLNa and RUNx3 were correlated with the TNM staging, lymph node metastasis and the depth of tumor invasion but not with the patient's age, gender lesion site and tumor size. The expression of RUNx3 has nothing to do with the degree of tumor differentiation but FLNa was opposite. The results of RT-PCR and Western blot were consistent with that of immunohistochemistry. FLNa and RUNx3 will be important factors in predicting colorectal adenocarcinoma biological behavior and judging prognosis and it also may be new targets for colorectal adenocarcinoma targeted therapy.