Evaluation of the Wnt signal activity by the serum concentrationsof Dkk4 (Dickkopf 4) in patient with colorectal cancer.

在本研究中，我们主要研究Dkk4基因在结肠癌中的作用，Dkk4基因是我们前期研究中发现的结肠癌高表达基因之一。为了探讨DKK 4表达的临床意义，我们采用临床标本检测了DKK 4 mRNA表达水平与进展期结直肠癌术后复发的关系。通过分析，我们发现Dkk4 mRNA高表达的结直肠癌术后复发率往往较高，由于Dkk4作为预测结直肠癌恶性潜能和治疗耐药的生物标志物的临床意义，包括临床研究和基础研究在内的其他研究揭示了Dkk 4在结直肠中上调的分子机制，将进一步阐明Dkk 4在结直肠中上调的意义。Dkk4在结直肠癌中的表达。

In this study, we focused our research on the role of Dkk4 gene which had been found asone of the genes being highly expressed in colon cancer in our previous study. In orderto investigate the clinical significance of Dkk4 expression, we examined the associationbetween the recurrence after surgery for advanced colorectal cancer and DKK4 mRNAexpression level in colorectal cancer using clinical samples. Through the analysis, wefound that the colorectal cancers with high Dkk4 mRNA expression tended to show higherrecurrence rate after surgery.Since clinical significance of Dkk4 as a biomarker to predict malignant potential andtreatment-resistance in colorectal cancer was indicated though the analysis, additionalstudies including clinical studies as well as basic studies disclosing the molecularmechanism of Dkk4 upregulation in colorectal would further clarify the significance ofDkk4 in colorectal cancer.