Leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1, relevant with microvessel density, is an independent survival prognostic factor for stage III colorectal cancer patients: a retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND: Leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 (encoded by LRG1) has been shown to be involved in multiple cancer progression and angiogenesis. LRG1 has been shown to be one of the five plasma proteins that can be used for colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis. The objective of the current study was to explore relationship between LRG1 protein expression and microvessel density (MVD) in stage III CRC. METHODS: A single-center retrospective analysis of all stage III CRC who underwent surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy was carried out. LRG1 and CD34 were tested in tumor tissues by immunohistochemistry (IHC). RESULTS: LRG1 protein expression was significantly associated with MVD (P <0.001) and other clinicopathological parameters, including T stage (P=0.028), differentiation (P=0.035) and vascular invasion (P=0.007). Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that LRG1 protein expression was an independent poor predictive factor for both disease-free and overall survival. CONCLUSION: LRG1 protein expression can be used as a prognostic marker for stage III CRC along with its use as a diagnostic marker for CRC in general.