Significance of Plasma Pro-collagen Type I α1 Chain in Patients With Colorectal Cancer

Background/Aim: Expression of the gene encoding collagen type I α1 chain (COL1A1) in cancer tissue primarily results in production of the pro-form of COL1A1, which can be released into the bloodstream. This study aimed to investigate whether plasma levels of pro-COL1A1 are associated with clinicopathological characteristics and long-term survival in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Materials and Methods: Plasma levels of pro-pro-COL1A1 were measured in 148 patients with CRC and 28 healthy controls using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Plasma levels of pro-COL1A1 were significantly lower in patients with CRC compared with healthy controls (p<0.001). Lower levels were also observed in men compared with women. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that a low plasma level of pro-COL1A1 was associated with poorer overall survival considering the entire cohort, as well as in subgroups of patients with colon cancer, depth of tumor invasion T3+T4, node-negative (N0) disease and in females. Conclusion: These findings suggest that plasma levels of pro-COL1A1 may serve as a prognostic biomarker for long-term survival in patients with CRC.