Postoperative elevation in the plasma CCL2 level is a predictive biomarker of colorectal cancer recurrence

• Published in: Surgery today (Tokyo, Japan) Japan), 2021-10, Vol.51 (10), p.1671-1681
• Main Authors: Fukunaga, Mitsuko, Mimori, Koshi, Masuda, Takaaki, Hu, Qingjiang, Yamada, Kazutaka, Mori, Masaki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Chemokine CCL2 - blood; Colorectal Neoplasms - diagnosis; Colorectal Neoplasms - immunology; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; Colorectal Neoplasms - surgery; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Humans; Macrophages - immunology; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - diagnosis; Neoplasm Staging; Original Article; Postoperative Period; Predictive Value of Tests; Surgery; Surgical Oncology; Tumor Microenvironment - immunology
• ISSN: 0941-1291; 1436-2813
• DOI: 10.1007/s00595-021-02273-x

Purpose There is currently no adequate biomarker for predicting colorectal cancer (CRC) recurrence. Chemokine (C–C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) induces macrophages and fibroblasts to occupy metastatic niches in distant organs. The purpose of this study was to examine CCL2 as a potential predictive biomarker for CRC recurrence. Methods Plasma samples ( n  = 402) were collected from 80 stage II/III/IV CRC cases and the relationship between CCL2 profiles and recurrence was investigated. The tumor immune response genes associated with CCL2 mRNA expression in a subgroup of 8 stage I/II CRC cases with 12 recurrent sites and The Cancer Genome Atlas database were also analyzed retrospectively. Results Sixteen stage II/III/IV postoperative recurrent CRC cases experienced a significant increase in plasma CCL2 levels 6 months after surgery and continuously increased even after R0-1 resection. The 6-month postoperative CCL2 levels in recurrent cases of ≥ 1 year were significantly higher than in non-recurrent cases and recurrent cases of