Expression of chromosomal regional maintenance protein-1 may be associated with subcellular survivin expression in human gastric and colorectal carcinoma.

Survivin, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family, is a potential prognostic marker and molecular target for anticancer therapies. Chromosomal regional maintenance protein-1 (CRM-1) mediates the nuclear export of proteins such as survivin. The aims of the present study were to compare the expression and subcellular localization of CRM-1 in human gastric and colorectal carcinomas and to assess the association between CRM-1 and survivin expression in these tumor types. The nuclear and cytoplasmic CRM-1 expression rates in gastric carcinoma were 61% (42/69) and 29% (20/69), respectively, while the nuclear and cytoplasmic CRM-1 expression rates in colorectal carcinoma were 55% (43/78) and 37% (29/78), respectively. Nuclear and cytoplasmic CRM-1 expression was found to be significantly correlated with nuclear and cytoplasmic survivin expression in colorectal carcinoma, but not gastric carcinoma. These results indicate that CRM-1 expression patterns differ between gastric and colorectal carcinomas and thus, we hypothesize that CRM-1-mediated nuclear export of survivin may be deregulated in gastric carcinoma. Therefore, CRM-1 may exhibit different functions in gastric and colorectal carcinoma.