Expression of tissue transglutaminase in colorectal cancer
The objective of the research was to determine the expression patterns of tissue transglutaminase (tTG) in colorectal cancer (CRC). The study was performed on surgical material of 125 adenocarcinomas from 124 patients. The expression level was assessedby morphometric analysis on histological slides stained by immunohistochemistry with antibodies to tTG. Increased tTG expression was observed in tumor tissue in comparison to normal colonic mucosa. Normalized level of tTG was significantly higher in the tumorstroma than in the cytoplasm of cancer cells both in the center and in the invasive front. High tTG expression in the stroma of the tumor center was associated with lower risk of tumor progression in patients with clinical stage I-II while better prognosis in stage III-IV was observed in patients with high level of tTG in the cytoplasm of cancer cells in the tumor center.