Netrin-1-CD146 and netrin-1-S100A9 are associated with early stage of lymph node metastasis in colorectal cancer

The netrin-1/CD146 pathway regulates colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastasis, angiogenesis, and vascular development. However, few investigations have yet examined the biological function of netrin-1/CD146 complex in CRC. In this work, we investigated the relationship between the netrin-1/CD146 axis and S100 proteins in sentinel lymph node, and revealed a possible new clue for vascular metastasis of CRC. The expression levels of netrin-1 and CD146 proteins in CRC, as well as S100A8 and S100A9 proteins in the sentinel lymph nodes were determined by immunohistochemistry. Using GEPIA and UALCAN, we analyzed netrin-1 and CD146 gene expression in CRC, their association with CRC stage, and their expression levels and prognosis in CRC patients. The expression level of netrin-1 in N (CRC lymphatic metastasis groups, exculded N ) was positively increased with N (p = 0.012). The level of netrin-1 protein was positively correlated with CD146 protein (p