Aim: This present study was aimed to compare the role of Oct4 in left-sided colon cancer (LCC) with right-sided colon cancer (RCC).
Patients & methods: One hundred and fifty one pathology specimens, 68 frozen-thawed tumors and cell lines were used to evaluate the role of Oct4 in LCC and RCC through immunohistochemistry, western blot and real-time quantitative PCR.
Results: In LCC, positive expression of Oct4 was positively related to differentiation and Dukes stage (p < 0.01). Only in RCC, Oct4 expression was also positively related to lymphatic invasion and survival rates of 'negative group' were significantly higher.
Conclusion: In summary, Oct4 was related to tumor differentiation and later Dukes stage in colon cancer, and was correlated with invasion of lymphatic only in RCC. In addition, Oct4 was a potential prognostic indicator in RCC.
Keywords: IHC; Oct4; RT-qPCR; clinicopathology; left-sided colon cancer; outcome; prognosis; right-sided colon cancer; survival; western blot.