Distribution and morphological characteristics of CD44+/SOX2+cancer stem cells in colorectal carcinoma

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2017.09.004

Abstract：BACKGROUND:CD44 is commonly used as a marker of colorectal cancer stem cells. In recent years, it is found that transcription factor SOX2 is a potential marker of colorectal cancer stem cells. OBJECTIVE:To observe the number, distribution and morphological characteristics of CD44+/SOX2+cells in colorectal cancer, and to explore whether CD44+/SOX2+is a marker of colorectal cancer stem cells. METHODS:Immunehistochemical double staining method was used to observe the number and distribution of CD44+/SOX2+cells in 10 cases of normal intestinal mucosa, 20 cases of colorectal adenoma and 88 cases of cancer tissue specimens. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the morphological characteristics of CD44+/SOX2+cells in colorectal cancer tissues. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Immunehistochemical double staining showed that: there were no CD44+/SOX2+cells in normal intestinal mucosa, a very small amount of CD44+/SOX2+cells in colorectal adenoma, and a small amount of CD44+/SOX2+cells in colorectal carcinoma. The CD44+/SOX2+cells in highly and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma were scattered or distributed focally in the basal part of crypt or along the co-walled gland. In poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, they were scattered or distributed focally in other cancer cells. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that the CD44+/SOX2+cells were small, round or oval structure, with less cytoplasm, large nuclear, obvious nucleolus, and the mitotic phenomenon was rarely seen. There was no correlation between the expression of CD44+/SOX2+and age, gender, location, depth of invasion in colorectal cancer patients;there was a negative correlation with differentiation and a positive correlation with TNM staging, distant metastasis. To conclude, CD44+/SOX2+cells are in line with the characteristics of tumor stem cells in terms of distribution and morphology character, and CD44+/SOX2+may be a marker of colorectal cancer stem cells.