BACKGROUND Epidemiologically,in China,locally advanced rectal cancer is a more common form of rectal cancer.Preoperative neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy can effectively reduce the size of locally invasive tum...BACKGROUND Epidemiologically,in China,locally advanced rectal cancer is a more common form of rectal cancer.Preoperative neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy can effectively reduce the size of locally invasive tumors and improve disease-free survival(DFS)and pathologic response after surgery.At present,this modality has become the standard protocol for the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer in many centers,but the optimal time for surgery after neoadjuvant therapy is still controversial.AIM To investigate the impact of time interval between neoadjuvant therapy and surgery on DFS and pathologic response in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.METHODS A total of 231 patients who were classified as having clinical stage II or III advanced rectal cancer and underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by surgery at the National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College from November 2014 to August 2017 were involved in this retrospective cohort study.The patients were divided into two groups based on the different time intervals between neoadjuvant therapy and surgery:139(60.2%)patients were in group A(≤9 wk),and 92(39.2%)patients were in group B(>9 wk).DFS and pathologic response were analyzed as the primary endpoints.The secondary endpoints were postoperative complications and sphincter preservation.RESULTS For the 231 patients included,surgery was performed at≤9 wk in 139(60.2%)patients and at>9 wk in 92(39.8%).The patients’clinical characteristics,surgical results,and tumor outcomes were analyzed through univariate analysis combined with multivariate regression analysis.The overall pathologic complete response(pCR)rate was 27.2%(n=25)in the longer time interval group(>9 wk)and 10.8%(n=15)in the shorter time interval group(≤9 wk,P=0.001).The postoperative complications did not differ between the groups(group A,5%vs group B,5.4%;P=0.894).Surgical procedures for sphincter preservation were performed in 113(48.9%)patients,which were not significantly different between the groups(group A,52.5%vs group B,43.5%;P=0.179).The pCR rate was an independent factor affected by time interval(P=0.009;odds ratio[OR]=2.668;95%CI:1.276-5.578).Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression analysis showed that the longer time interval(>9 wk)was a significant independent prognostic factor for DFS(P=0.032;OR=2.295;95%CI:1.074-4.905),but the time interval was not an independent prognostic factor for overall survival(P>0.05).CONCLUSION A longer time interval to surgery after neoadjuvant therapy may improve the pCR rate and DFS but has little impact on postoperative complications and sphincter preservation.展开更多
BACKGROUND For laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery,the inferior mesenteric artery(IMA)can be ligated at its origin from the aorta[high ligation(HL)]or distally to the origin of the left colic artery[low ligation(LL)].W...BACKGROUND For laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery,the inferior mesenteric artery(IMA)can be ligated at its origin from the aorta[high ligation(HL)]or distally to the origin of the left colic artery[low ligation(LL)].Whether different ligation levels are related to different postoperative complications,operation time,and lymph node yield remains controversial.Therefore,we designed this study to determine the effects of different ligation levels in rectal cancer surgery.AIM To investigate the operative results following HL and LL of the IMA in rectal cancer patients.METHODS From January 2017 to July 2019,this retrospective cohort study collected information from 462 consecutive rectal cancer patients.According to the ligation level,235 patients were assigned to the HL group while 227 patients were assigned to the LL group.Data regarding the clinical characteristics,surgical characteristics and complications,pathological outcomes and postoperative recovery were obtained and compared between the two groups.A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the possible risk factors for anastomotic leakage(AL).RESULTS Compared to the HL group,the LL group had a significantly lower AL rate,with 6(2.8%)cases in the LL group and 24(11.0%)cases in the HL group(P=0.001).The HL group also had a higher diverting stoma rate(16.5%vs 7.5%,P=0.003).A multivariate logistic regression analysis was subsequently performed to adjust for the confounding factors and confirmed that HL(OR=3.599;95%CI:1.374-9.425;P=0.009),tumor located below the peritoneal reflection(OR=2.751;95%CI:0.772-3.985;P=0.031)and age(≥65 years)(OR=2.494;95%CI:1.080-5.760;P=0.032)were risk factors for AL.There were no differences in terms of patient demographics,pathological outcomes,lymph nodes harvested,blood loss,hospital stay and urinary function(P>0.05).CONCLUSION In rectal cancer surgery,LL should be the preferred method,as it has a lower AL and diverting stoma rate.展开更多
BACKGROUND Colorectal high-grade neuroendocrine neoplasms(HGNENs)are rare and constitute less than 1%of all colorectal malignancies.Based on their morphological differentiation and proliferation identity,these neoplas...BACKGROUND Colorectal high-grade neuroendocrine neoplasms(HGNENs)are rare and constitute less than 1%of all colorectal malignancies.Based on their morphological differentiation and proliferation identity,these neoplasms present heterogeneous clinicopathologic features.Opinions regarding treatment strategies for and improvement of the clinical outcomes of these patients remain controversial.AIM To delineate the clinicopathologic features of and explore the prognostic factors for this rare malignancy.METHODS This observational study reviewed the data of 72 consecutive patients with colorectal HGNENs from three Chinese hospitals between 2000 and 2019.The clinicopathologic characteristics and follow-up data were carefully collected from their medical records,outpatient reexaminations,and telephone interviews.A survival analysis was conducted to evaluate their outcomes and to identify the prognostic factors for this disease.RESULTS According to the latest recommendations for the classification and nomenclature of colorectal HGNENs,61(84.7%)patients in our cohort had poorly differentiated neoplasms,which were categorized as high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas(HGNECs),and the remaining 11(15.3%)patients had well differentiated neoplasms,which were categorized as high-grade neuroendocrine tumors(HGNETs).Most of the neoplasms(63.9%)were located at the rectum.More than half of the patients(51.4%)presented with distant metastasis at the date of diagnosis.All patients were followed for a median duration of 15.5 mo.In the entire cohort,the median survival time was 31 mo,and the 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 44.3%and 36.3%,respectively.Both the univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that increasing age,HGNEC type,and distant metastasis were risk factors for poor clinical outcomes.CONCLUSION Colorectal HGNENs are rare and aggressive malignancies with poor clinical outcomes.However,patients with younger age,good morphological differentiation,and without metastatic disease can have a relatively favorable prognosis.展开更多
BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer is a common digestive cancer worldwide.As a comprehensive treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer(LARC),neoadjuvant therapy(NT)has been increasingly used as the standard treatment for...BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer is a common digestive cancer worldwide.As a comprehensive treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer(LARC),neoadjuvant therapy(NT)has been increasingly used as the standard treatment for clinical stage II/III rectal cancer.However,few patients achieve a complete pathological response,and most patients require surgical resection and adjuvant therapy.Therefore,identifying risk factors and developing accurate models to predict the prognosis of LARC patients are of great clinical significance.AIM To establish effective prognostic nomograms and risk score prediction models to predict overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS)for LARC treated with NT.METHODS Nomograms and risk factor score prediction models were based on patients who received NT at the Cancer Hospital from 2015 to 2017.The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model were utilized to screen for prognostic risk factors,which were validated by the Cox regression method.Assessment of the performance of the two prediction models was conducted using receiver operating characteristic curves,and that of the two nomograms was conducted by calculating the concordance index(C-index)and calibration curves.The results were validated in a cohort of 65 patients from 2015 to 2017.RESULTS Seven features were significantly associated with OS and were included in the OS prediction nomogram and prediction model:Vascular_tumors_bolt,cancer nodules,yN,body mass index,matchmouth distance from the edge,nerve aggression and postoperative carcinoembryonic antigen.The nomogram showed good predictive value for OS,with a C-index of 0.91(95%CI:0.85,0.97)and good calibration.In the validation cohort,the C-index was 0.69(95%CI:0.53,0.84).The risk factor prediction model showed good predictive value.The areas under the curve for 3-and 5-year survival were 0.811 and 0.782.The nomogram for predicting DFS included ypTNM and nerve aggression and showed good calibration and a C-index of 0.77(95%CI:0.69,0.85).In the validation cohort,the C-index was 0.71(95%CI:0.61,0.81).The prediction model for DFS also had good predictive value,with an AUC for 3-year survival of 0.784 and an AUC for 5-year survival of 0.754.CONCLUSION We established accurate nomograms and prediction models for predicting OS and DFS in patients with LARC after undergoing NT.展开更多
BACKGROUND Conventional clinical guidelines recommend that at least 12 lymph nodes shouldbe removed during radical rectal cancer surgery to achieve accurate staging.Thecurrent application of neoadjuvant therapy has ch...BACKGROUND Conventional clinical guidelines recommend that at least 12 lymph nodes shouldbe removed during radical rectal cancer surgery to achieve accurate staging.Thecurrent application of neoadjuvant therapy has changed the number of lymphnode dissection.AIM To investigate factors affecting the number of lymph nodes dissected afterneoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer and to evaluatethe relationship of the total number of retrieved lymph nodes(TLN)with diseasefreesurvival(DFS)and overall survival(OS).METHODS A total of 231 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer from 2015 to 2017 wereincluded in this study.According to the American Joint Committee on Cancer(AJCC)/Union for International Cancer Control(UICC)tumor-node-metastasis(TNM)classification system and the NCCN guidelines for rectal cancer,thepatients were divided into two groups:group A(TLN≥12,n=177)and group B(TLN<12,n=54).Factors influencing lymph node retrieval were analyzed byunivariate and binary logistic regression analysis.DFS and OS were evaluated byKaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models.RESULTS The median number of lymph nodes dissected was 18(range,12-45)in group A and 8(range,2-11)in group B.The lymph node ratio(number of positive lymphnodes/total number of lymph nodes)(P=0.039)and the interval betweenneoadjuvant therapy and radical surgery(P=0.002)were independent factors ofthe TLN.However,TLN was not associated with sex,age,ASA score,clinical T orN stage,pathological T stage,tumor response grade(Dworak),downstaging,pathological complete response,radiotherapy dose,preoperative concurrentchemotherapy regimen,tumor distance from anal verge,multivisceral resection,preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level,perineural invasion,intravasculartumor embolus or degree of differentiation.The pathological T stage(P<0.001)and TLN(P<0.001)were independent factors of DFS,and pathological T stage(P=0.011)and perineural invasion(P=0.002)were independent factors of OS.Inaddition,the risk of distant recurrence was greater for TLN<12(P=0.009).CONCLUSION A shorter interval to surgery after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectalcancer under indications may cause increased number of lymph nodes harvested.Tumor shrinkage and more extensive lymph node retrieval may lead to a morefavorable prognosis.展开更多
BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is one of the most malignant gastrointestinal cancers worldwide.The liver is the most important metastatic target organ,and liver metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients w...BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is one of the most malignant gastrointestinal cancers worldwide.The liver is the most important metastatic target organ,and liver metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with CRC.Owing to the lack of sensitive biomarkers and unclear molecular mechanism,the occurrence of liver metastases cannot be predicted and the clinical outcomes are bad for liver metastases.Therefore,it is very important to identify the diagnostic or prognostic markers for liver metastases of CRC.AIM To investigate the highly differentially expressed genes(HDEGs)and prognostic marker for liver metastases of CRC.METHODS Data from three NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)datasets were used to show HDEGs between liver metastases of CRC and tumour or normal samples.These significantly HDEGs of the three GEO datasets take the interactions.And these genes were screened through an online tool to explore the prognostic value.Then,TIMER and R package were utilized to investigate the immunity functions of the HDEGs and gene set enrichment analysis was used to explore their potential functions.RESULTS Based on the selection criteria,three CRC datasets for exploration(GSE14297,GSE41258,and GSE49355)were chosen.Venn diagrams were used to show HDEGs common to the six groups and 47 HDEGs were obtained.The HDEGs were shown by using STRING and Cytoscape software.Based on the TCGA database,APOC1 showed significantly different expression between N2 and N0,and N2 and N1.And there was also a significant difference in expression between T2 and T4,and between T2 and T3.In 20 paired CRC and normal tissues,quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction illustrated that the APOC1 mRNA was strongly upregulated in CRC tissues(P=0.014).PrognoScan and GEPIA2 revealed the prognostic value of APOC1 for overall survival and diseasefree survival in CRC(P<0.05).TIMER showed that APOC1 has a close relationship with immune infiltration(P<0.05).CONCLUSION APOC1 is a biomarker that is associated with both the diagnosis and prognosis of liver metastases of CRC.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Key Research and Development Plan"Research on Prevention and Control of Major Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases",No.2019YFC1315705the Medicine and Health Technology Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences,No.2017-12M-1-006.
文摘BACKGROUND Epidemiologically,in China,locally advanced rectal cancer is a more common form of rectal cancer.Preoperative neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy can effectively reduce the size of locally invasive tumors and improve disease-free survival(DFS)and pathologic response after surgery.At present,this modality has become the standard protocol for the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer in many centers,but the optimal time for surgery after neoadjuvant therapy is still controversial.AIM To investigate the impact of time interval between neoadjuvant therapy and surgery on DFS and pathologic response in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.METHODS A total of 231 patients who were classified as having clinical stage II or III advanced rectal cancer and underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by surgery at the National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College from November 2014 to August 2017 were involved in this retrospective cohort study.The patients were divided into two groups based on the different time intervals between neoadjuvant therapy and surgery:139(60.2%)patients were in group A(≤9 wk),and 92(39.2%)patients were in group B(>9 wk).DFS and pathologic response were analyzed as the primary endpoints.The secondary endpoints were postoperative complications and sphincter preservation.RESULTS For the 231 patients included,surgery was performed at≤9 wk in 139(60.2%)patients and at>9 wk in 92(39.8%).The patients’clinical characteristics,surgical results,and tumor outcomes were analyzed through univariate analysis combined with multivariate regression analysis.The overall pathologic complete response(pCR)rate was 27.2%(n=25)in the longer time interval group(>9 wk)and 10.8%(n=15)in the shorter time interval group(≤9 wk,P=0.001).The postoperative complications did not differ between the groups(group A,5%vs group B,5.4%;P=0.894).Surgical procedures for sphincter preservation were performed in 113(48.9%)patients,which were not significantly different between the groups(group A,52.5%vs group B,43.5%;P=0.179).The pCR rate was an independent factor affected by time interval(P=0.009;odds ratio[OR]=2.668;95%CI:1.276-5.578).Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression analysis showed that the longer time interval(>9 wk)was a significant independent prognostic factor for DFS(P=0.032;OR=2.295;95%CI:1.074-4.905),but the time interval was not an independent prognostic factor for overall survival(P>0.05).CONCLUSION A longer time interval to surgery after neoadjuvant therapy may improve the pCR rate and DFS but has little impact on postoperative complications and sphincter preservation.
基金Supported by the Medicine and Health Technology Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences,No.2017-12M-1-006China Scholarship Council,No.CSC201906210471.
文摘BACKGROUND For laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery,the inferior mesenteric artery(IMA)can be ligated at its origin from the aorta[high ligation(HL)]or distally to the origin of the left colic artery[low ligation(LL)].Whether different ligation levels are related to different postoperative complications,operation time,and lymph node yield remains controversial.Therefore,we designed this study to determine the effects of different ligation levels in rectal cancer surgery.AIM To investigate the operative results following HL and LL of the IMA in rectal cancer patients.METHODS From January 2017 to July 2019,this retrospective cohort study collected information from 462 consecutive rectal cancer patients.According to the ligation level,235 patients were assigned to the HL group while 227 patients were assigned to the LL group.Data regarding the clinical characteristics,surgical characteristics and complications,pathological outcomes and postoperative recovery were obtained and compared between the two groups.A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the possible risk factors for anastomotic leakage(AL).RESULTS Compared to the HL group,the LL group had a significantly lower AL rate,with 6(2.8%)cases in the LL group and 24(11.0%)cases in the HL group(P=0.001).The HL group also had a higher diverting stoma rate(16.5%vs 7.5%,P=0.003).A multivariate logistic regression analysis was subsequently performed to adjust for the confounding factors and confirmed that HL(OR=3.599;95%CI:1.374-9.425;P=0.009),tumor located below the peritoneal reflection(OR=2.751;95%CI:0.772-3.985;P=0.031)and age(≥65 years)(OR=2.494;95%CI:1.080-5.760;P=0.032)were risk factors for AL.There were no differences in terms of patient demographics,pathological outcomes,lymph nodes harvested,blood loss,hospital stay and urinary function(P>0.05).CONCLUSION In rectal cancer surgery,LL should be the preferred method,as it has a lower AL and diverting stoma rate.
基金Supported by the Medicine and Health Technology Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences,No.2017-12M-1-006
文摘BACKGROUND Colorectal high-grade neuroendocrine neoplasms(HGNENs)are rare and constitute less than 1%of all colorectal malignancies.Based on their morphological differentiation and proliferation identity,these neoplasms present heterogeneous clinicopathologic features.Opinions regarding treatment strategies for and improvement of the clinical outcomes of these patients remain controversial.AIM To delineate the clinicopathologic features of and explore the prognostic factors for this rare malignancy.METHODS This observational study reviewed the data of 72 consecutive patients with colorectal HGNENs from three Chinese hospitals between 2000 and 2019.The clinicopathologic characteristics and follow-up data were carefully collected from their medical records,outpatient reexaminations,and telephone interviews.A survival analysis was conducted to evaluate their outcomes and to identify the prognostic factors for this disease.RESULTS According to the latest recommendations for the classification and nomenclature of colorectal HGNENs,61(84.7%)patients in our cohort had poorly differentiated neoplasms,which were categorized as high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas(HGNECs),and the remaining 11(15.3%)patients had well differentiated neoplasms,which were categorized as high-grade neuroendocrine tumors(HGNETs).Most of the neoplasms(63.9%)were located at the rectum.More than half of the patients(51.4%)presented with distant metastasis at the date of diagnosis.All patients were followed for a median duration of 15.5 mo.In the entire cohort,the median survival time was 31 mo,and the 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 44.3%and 36.3%,respectively.Both the univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that increasing age,HGNEC type,and distant metastasis were risk factors for poor clinical outcomes.CONCLUSION Colorectal HGNENs are rare and aggressive malignancies with poor clinical outcomes.However,patients with younger age,good morphological differentiation,and without metastatic disease can have a relatively favorable prognosis.
文摘BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer is a common digestive cancer worldwide.As a comprehensive treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer(LARC),neoadjuvant therapy(NT)has been increasingly used as the standard treatment for clinical stage II/III rectal cancer.However,few patients achieve a complete pathological response,and most patients require surgical resection and adjuvant therapy.Therefore,identifying risk factors and developing accurate models to predict the prognosis of LARC patients are of great clinical significance.AIM To establish effective prognostic nomograms and risk score prediction models to predict overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS)for LARC treated with NT.METHODS Nomograms and risk factor score prediction models were based on patients who received NT at the Cancer Hospital from 2015 to 2017.The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model were utilized to screen for prognostic risk factors,which were validated by the Cox regression method.Assessment of the performance of the two prediction models was conducted using receiver operating characteristic curves,and that of the two nomograms was conducted by calculating the concordance index(C-index)and calibration curves.The results were validated in a cohort of 65 patients from 2015 to 2017.RESULTS Seven features were significantly associated with OS and were included in the OS prediction nomogram and prediction model:Vascular_tumors_bolt,cancer nodules,yN,body mass index,matchmouth distance from the edge,nerve aggression and postoperative carcinoembryonic antigen.The nomogram showed good predictive value for OS,with a C-index of 0.91(95%CI:0.85,0.97)and good calibration.In the validation cohort,the C-index was 0.69(95%CI:0.53,0.84).The risk factor prediction model showed good predictive value.The areas under the curve for 3-and 5-year survival were 0.811 and 0.782.The nomogram for predicting DFS included ypTNM and nerve aggression and showed good calibration and a C-index of 0.77(95%CI:0.69,0.85).In the validation cohort,the C-index was 0.71(95%CI:0.61,0.81).The prediction model for DFS also had good predictive value,with an AUC for 3-year survival of 0.784 and an AUC for 5-year survival of 0.754.CONCLUSION We established accurate nomograms and prediction models for predicting OS and DFS in patients with LARC after undergoing NT.
基金Supported by National Key Research and Development Plan"Research on Prevention and Control of Major Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases",No.2019YFC1315705The Medicine and Health Technology Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences,No.2017-12M-1-006.
文摘BACKGROUND Conventional clinical guidelines recommend that at least 12 lymph nodes shouldbe removed during radical rectal cancer surgery to achieve accurate staging.Thecurrent application of neoadjuvant therapy has changed the number of lymphnode dissection.AIM To investigate factors affecting the number of lymph nodes dissected afterneoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer and to evaluatethe relationship of the total number of retrieved lymph nodes(TLN)with diseasefreesurvival(DFS)and overall survival(OS).METHODS A total of 231 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer from 2015 to 2017 wereincluded in this study.According to the American Joint Committee on Cancer(AJCC)/Union for International Cancer Control(UICC)tumor-node-metastasis(TNM)classification system and the NCCN guidelines for rectal cancer,thepatients were divided into two groups:group A(TLN≥12,n=177)and group B(TLN<12,n=54).Factors influencing lymph node retrieval were analyzed byunivariate and binary logistic regression analysis.DFS and OS were evaluated byKaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models.RESULTS The median number of lymph nodes dissected was 18(range,12-45)in group A and 8(range,2-11)in group B.The lymph node ratio(number of positive lymphnodes/total number of lymph nodes)(P=0.039)and the interval betweenneoadjuvant therapy and radical surgery(P=0.002)were independent factors ofthe TLN.However,TLN was not associated with sex,age,ASA score,clinical T orN stage,pathological T stage,tumor response grade(Dworak),downstaging,pathological complete response,radiotherapy dose,preoperative concurrentchemotherapy regimen,tumor distance from anal verge,multivisceral resection,preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level,perineural invasion,intravasculartumor embolus or degree of differentiation.The pathological T stage(P<0.001)and TLN(P<0.001)were independent factors of DFS,and pathological T stage(P=0.011)and perineural invasion(P=0.002)were independent factors of OS.Inaddition,the risk of distant recurrence was greater for TLN<12(P=0.009).CONCLUSION A shorter interval to surgery after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectalcancer under indications may cause increased number of lymph nodes harvested.Tumor shrinkage and more extensive lymph node retrieval may lead to a morefavorable prognosis.
基金National Key Research and Development(R&D)Program Project,No.2019YFC1315705.
文摘BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is one of the most malignant gastrointestinal cancers worldwide.The liver is the most important metastatic target organ,and liver metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with CRC.Owing to the lack of sensitive biomarkers and unclear molecular mechanism,the occurrence of liver metastases cannot be predicted and the clinical outcomes are bad for liver metastases.Therefore,it is very important to identify the diagnostic or prognostic markers for liver metastases of CRC.AIM To investigate the highly differentially expressed genes(HDEGs)and prognostic marker for liver metastases of CRC.METHODS Data from three NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)datasets were used to show HDEGs between liver metastases of CRC and tumour or normal samples.These significantly HDEGs of the three GEO datasets take the interactions.And these genes were screened through an online tool to explore the prognostic value.Then,TIMER and R package were utilized to investigate the immunity functions of the HDEGs and gene set enrichment analysis was used to explore their potential functions.RESULTS Based on the selection criteria,three CRC datasets for exploration(GSE14297,GSE41258,and GSE49355)were chosen.Venn diagrams were used to show HDEGs common to the six groups and 47 HDEGs were obtained.The HDEGs were shown by using STRING and Cytoscape software.Based on the TCGA database,APOC1 showed significantly different expression between N2 and N0,and N2 and N1.And there was also a significant difference in expression between T2 and T4,and between T2 and T3.In 20 paired CRC and normal tissues,quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction illustrated that the APOC1 mRNA was strongly upregulated in CRC tissues(P=0.014).PrognoScan and GEPIA2 revealed the prognostic value of APOC1 for overall survival and diseasefree survival in CRC(P<0.05).TIMER showed that APOC1 has a close relationship with immune infiltration(P<0.05).CONCLUSION APOC1 is a biomarker that is associated with both the diagnosis and prognosis of liver metastases of CRC.
