BACKGROUND:
Lgr5 (Leucine rich repeat containing G–protein- coupled receptors) also known as G-protein- coupled receptor (Gpr-49). It belongs to the large, G-protein– coupled, 7-transmembrane (7TM) family of proteins. In order to determine whether Lgr5 is a potential marker of cancer stem cells, we investigated Lgr5 expression in normal colorectal mucosa, adenoma and carcinoma and compared the results with the clinicopathological data and prognosis.
METHODS:
This is a retrospective study carried upon 40 Egyptian patients with different types of colorectal lesions, 6 cases of adenoma and 34 carcinoma (20 cases were cribriform adenocarcinoma, 6 signet ring carcinoma and 8 mucoid carcinoma). Six cases were taken as control from adjacent normal mucosa in patients with intestinal infarction. Lgr5 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in the collected colorectal lesions.
RESULTS:
Lgr5 was detected as cytoplasmic brown granules with different expression patterns in normal colonic mucosa, adenoma and carcinoma. Lgr5 expression was significantly higher in carcinoma than in adenoma (P