Loss of the metastasis suppressor gene KiSS1 is associated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in human colorectal cancer

Cancer research is currently focused on blocking the metastatic process at its early steps. Some particularly attractive targets are metastasis suppressor genes, which control cancer cell dissemination. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between the expression of KiSS1, a metastasis suppressor gene, and disease progression in colorectal cancer patients. One-hundred and seventy-five patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer were enrolled in this study. We analyzed KiSS1 mRNA expression by real-time reverse transcription PCR in colorectal cancer tissue and paired adjacent normal mucosa. KiSS1 protein expression in early- and advanced-stage colorectal cancer samples was determined by immunohistochemical analysis. Decreased KiSS1 expression was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis and was an independent prognostic factor. Logistic regression analysis revealed that decreased KiSS1 expression was an independent risk factor for lymph node metastasis. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that KiSS1 was highly expressed in the cell cytoplasm of early-stage colorectal cancer cells. The loss of KiSS1 appears to correlate with the progression of lymph node metastasis. An assessment of KiSS1 expression may assist in the accurate colorectal cancer diagnosis and may contribute to predict clinical outcomes.