The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 is a negative regulator of the transition from G1 to S phase of the cell cycle, protects against inflammatory injury and promotes epithelial differentiation. Because p27 protein has been shown to be abnormally expressed both in dysplasia associated with Barrett’s esophagus and in sporadic colorectal adenomas, we used immunohistochemistry to evaluate p27 expression in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-associated dysplasia and carcinomas. Normal, inflamed, and transitional mucosa, sporadic adenomas, and sporadic colonic carcinomas were studied as controls. In normal colonic epithelium p27 expression was restricted to the superficial, terminally differentiated cells. In colitic and inflamed diverticular mucosa p27 was expressed in the base of the crypts in 86 and 70% of cases, respectively. Similarly, in transitional mucosa adjacent to sporadic carcinomas p27 was expressed in the base of the crypts in all cases. Strong p27 expression extended more frequently from the base of the crypts to superficial cells in IBD-associated dysplasia than in sporadic adenomas (P < 0.007). Twenty of 20 (100%) IBD-associated carcinomas showed low p27 expression (<50% nuclei positive) compared to 6 of 20 (30%) stage-matched sporadic colorectal carcinomas (P < 0.001). We conclude (i) aberrant p27 protein expression in inflamed and IBD-associated nondysplastic mucosa is indistinguishable from that found in transitional mucosa adjacent to sporadic carcinomas; (ii) p27 is overexpressed in dysplastic lesions, perhaps as an attempt to counterbalance proliferative stimuli; and (iii) IBD-associated colorectal carcinomas have significantly lower p27 expression, commonly associated with poor prognosis, than stage-matched sporadic colorectal carcinomas. These findings further substantiate the existence of divergent molecular pathogenetic pathways between these types of carcinomas and suggest an intrinsically more aggressive behavior of IBD-associated colon carcinomas compared to sporadic ones.
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