OVEREXPRESSION OF CALCIUM-BINDING PROTEIN CALGRANULIN-B IN COLONIC MUCOSAL DISEASES

Subtractive two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) has been used f or the study of the protein patterns of the normal colonic mucosa and the specimens collected from patients diagnosed for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colonic polyps and colorectal cancer. We found a 13 kD a protein that was detected in five of seven adenomas and in 13 of 15 colorectal carcinomas while it was absent or only slightly expressed i n normal colonic mucosa. Furthermore, this protein occured in all spec imens collected from patients suffering from IBD and its quantity refl ected the increased severity of inflammation. The combination of micro sequencing and mass spectrometry led to the identification of the 13 k Da spot as calgranulin B. Our results indicate that the production of calgranulin B is unregulated in inflammatory, preneoplastic and neopla stic lesions of colonic mucosa. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.