Receptor for hyaluronan-mediated motility and CD44 expressions in colon cancer assessed by quantitative analysis using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction

Receptor for hyaluronan (HA)-mediated motility (RHAMM) is a receptor for HA -mediated motility and its expression is correlated with malignancy of ras- transformed cells in that binding of HA to this receptor activates their mi gratory ability. CD44, a cell surface receptor for HA is also implicated in metastatic behavior of some cancer cells, In this study we examined the re lationships of cancer progression with mRNA levels of RHAMM, CD44 (all form s), and exon 6 of CD44 using the real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction method in specimens of colon cancers at different diagnosti c stages from 30 patients. Increased mRNA levels of RHAMM were observed in 29 specimens (97%), CD44s (all forms) in 21 specimens (70%), and its exon 6 in 19 specimens (63%) in comparison with those in the corresponding noncan cerous tissue specimens. A statistically significant correlation between RH AMM expression and cancerous specimens at any of Dukes' stages A, B, and C was found, and the overexpression of CD44 mRNAs was confirmed in specimens at Dukes' stage C, Thus, our present study for the first time suggests that RHAMM expression may be a clinically useful indicator of colon cancer.