Expression of a marker for colonic crypt base cells is correlated with poor prognosis in human colorectal cancer.

Background: There is a need for markers in colorectal cancer which will allow subclassification of stage groups into subgroups with high versus low risk of recurrent disease.
Aims: To develop monoclonal antibodies that recognise antigens or immature crypt base cells, on the assumption that in a neoplasm undifferentiated but not the terminally differentiated cells will be responsible for tumour progression.
Methods: Colon crypt cells which were isolated from human colonic mucosa by EDTA/EGTA incubation were studied. By stepwise harvesting, crypt base cell enriched fractions were obtained, and after incubation with antibodies against dominant antigens, used as immunogens.
Results: Of one crypt base cell specific antibody (5E9), the reactive epitope appeared to be a non-terminal carbohydrate in the mucin O-glycans of the colon. The epitope did not seem to be colon specific, but was expressed in a variety of other tissues. In colorectal carcinomas, 5E9 immunoreactivity identified a subgroup of patients with a tendency for worse prognosis.
Conclusion: A mucin associated maturation epitope was identified in colonic crypt base cells, the expression of which in Dukes' stage B3 colorectal carcinoma may be associated with poor prognosis.