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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers of the gastrointestinal tract and the fourth cause of cancers death in the world. Soluble adhesion molecules (CAMs) are thought to have an important role in host defense against carcinogenesis. They are biomarkers of inflammation and indicators of the immune response to tumors. The study included 40 CRC patients without remote metastases and 24 control subjects. Serum concentrations of sE-selectin, sICAM and sVCAM in patients with CRC were investigated by ELISA method. The level of the sCAMs decreased significantly after radical tumor resection. Preoperative serum concentrations of sICAM and sVCAM in CRC patients were significantly higher compared to the control group, whereas there were no differences regarding serum sE-selectin. Serum levels of sE-selectin, sICAM and sVCAM correlated significantly with each other. There was a significant correlation of serum levels of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1, but not sE-selectin, with TNM stage and lymph node involvement. No significant relationship was found between serum concentrations of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin in CRC patients and patients' age or gender. Our findings suggest that an improved understanding of the mechanisms of membrane shedding of sICAM, sVCAM and sE-selectin is required to delineate their role in tumor progression.

Introduction: Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and P-selectin, the low-molecular weight proteins located mainly in the platelet alpha-granules, are considered to be biologically active markers of platelet (PLT) activation., Objectives: The study objective was to assess levels of PDGF-AB and sP-selectin in relation to PLT blood count in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) who were examined before and after radical surgical treatment of the cancer., Patients and Methods: The study involved 38 CRC patients including B1 - 20 patients (T(2-3)N(1)M(0)), B2 -18 patients (T(2-3)N2M0) and 24 age and sex-matched healthy subjects (the control group). Blood samples were collected from the antecubital vein prior to and 3 months after the radical surgery. PDGF-AB and souble (s)P-selectin, the markers of PLT activation, were determined by the immunoenzymatic methods., Results: In CRC patients, the levels of PDGF-AB and sP-selectin were a few times higher, whereas the PLT count was lower as compared to the control group. Moreover, these levels were statistically much higher before, compared to those after the surgery, in patients with a higher grade of clinical and histological differentiation (p <0.05) as well. However, no positive correlation was found between the PLT count and the PDGF-AB and sP-selectin levels., Conclusions: High levels of PDGF-AB and sP-selectin, the sensitive markers of PLT activation prior to surgical treatment seem to indicate cancer tissue as the source of both PDGF and sP-selectin. For this reason, PDGF-AB and sP-selectin determination may help in early non-invasive CRC evaluation in the future.