Colonic epithelial cathelicidin (LL-37) expression intensity is associated with progression of colorectal cancer and presence of CD8⁺ T cell infiltrate.

ABSTRACT: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of cancer mortality. Here, we define the colonic epithelial expression of cathelicidin (LL-37) in CRC. Cathelicidin exerts pleotropic effects including anti-microbial and immunoregulatory functions. Genetic knockout of cathelicidin led to increased size and number of colorectal tumours in the azoxymethane-induced murine model of CRC. We aimed to translate this to human disease. The expression of LL-37 in a large (n = 650) fully characterised cohort of treatment-naïve primary human colorectal tumours and 50 matched normal mucosa samples with associated clinical and pathological data (patient age, gender, tumour site, tumour stage [UICC], presence or absence of extra-mural vascular invasion, tumour differentiation, mismatch repair protein statu

SUBMITTER: Porter RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8363930 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature