Increased serum angiogenin concentration in colorectal cancer is correlated with cancer progression

We have previously demonstrated that the increased expression of angiogenin (ANG) in pancreatic cancer is related to cancer aggressiveness; however, t he relationship between ANG expression and its clinical relevance in colore ctal cancer has not been demonstrated. We therefore investigated the correl ation between serum ANG (sANG) concentration and colorectal cancer progress ion or the changes in sANG concentrations before and after cancer resection , To determination sANG concentration by ELISA, sera were obtained from col orectal cancer patients (the cancer group) preoperatively (n = 34) and post operatively (il = 25), from hernia patients (the nonneoplastic group) preop eratively (n = 9) and postoperatively (n = 4), and from 23 healthy voluntee rs. The amount of ANG in the colorectal cancer tissues (n = 19) was determi ned by the same method. Before surgery, the mean sANG concentration in the cancer group (411.8 +/- 106.3 ng/ml) was significantly higher than that in both the nonneoplastic group (344.0 +/- 60.7 ng/ml; P = 0.04) and in the he althy volunteers (321.7 +/- 59.7 ng/ml; P = 0.0001). The degree of elevatio n of sANG concentration in the cancer group was more significant in the mor e progressed subgroups as compared with that in the normal group (versus T- is + T-1 + T-2 cancer, P = 0.01; versus T-3 + T-4 cancer, P = 0.002; versus stage 0 + I cancer, P = 0.02; versus >stage III cancer, P = 0.001; versus Dukes' A cancer, P = 0.02; versus Dukes' C cancer, P = 0.006), After cancer resection, the mean sANG concentrations in each subgroup decreased to the same levels as those of the normal group; the degrees of reduction were mor e significant in the more progressed subgroups. The tissue ANG amount corre lated significantly,vith sANG concentration (P = 0.007), These results sugg est that the increased concentration of sANG that is derived from colorecta l cancer correlates with cancer progression.