ADAMTS4 is upregulated in colorectal cancer and could be a useful prognostic indicator of colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVE: ADAMTS4 is a member of the ADAMTS4 family, which secretes proteinases. The mechanism of tumor metastasis may be correlated to its promotion of angiogenesis. It was determined whether ADAMTS4 participates in colorectal cancer progression. METHODS: The expression in clinical samples and CRC cell lines was investigated. Using immunohistochemistry (IHC), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and RT-PCR, the expression of ADAMTS4 was determined in colorectal tumors of different cancer stages and anatomic sites, and in three cell lines of different aggressiveness. RESULTS: The overexpression of ADAMTS4 was observed in tissue samples by IHC, and this was mainly located in the cytoplasm, as detected by FISH. The qRT-PCR and western blot analyses further supported the clinical sample findings. CONCLUSION: The present data support the notion that the overexpression of ADAMTS4 in CRC might be useful as a non-invasive biomarker for detecting CRC in patients.