Expression of Glioma-associated Oncogene Homolog 1 is Associated with Invasion and Postoperative Liver Metastasis in Colon Cancer

Objective: To investigate the expression of glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1(Gli-1) in colon cancer and its association with clinicopathological parameters and postoperative liver metastasis. Methods: Expression of Gli-1 was detected by immunohistochemistry in paraffin-embedded specimens of 96 cases of colon cancer. Relationship between Gli-1 expression and clinicopathological parameters, postoperative liver metastasis were analyzed. Results: Gli-1 protein expression was significantly increased in colon cancer tissues compared to normal colon tissues (P = 0.037). Gli-1 expression in colon tissues was increased in patients with lymph node metastases (P = 0.022) and higher T stages (P = 0.030). Postoperative live metastasis-free survival period was significantly longer in low Gli-1 expression group than that of high Gli-1 expression group (48.22 +/- 10.03 months vs 20.46 +/- 6.32 months, P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that Gli-1 expression level is an independent prognostic factor for postoperative live metastasis-free survival. Conclusion: Colon cancer is associated with an upregulation of Gli-1 protein expression in colon tissues. In patients with colon cancer, Gli-1 expression level is closely related to lymph node metastases, T stages and postoperative live metastasis-free survival periods, indicative of a possible role of Gli-1 expression in colon cancer progression.