Role of amino acid transporter expression as a prognostic marker in patients with surgically resected colorectal cancer

Background/Aim: L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) is highly expressed in various human cancers. However, the clinicopathological significance of LAT1 and 4F2 cell surface antigen (4F2hc) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) is unknown. The aim of this study was to clarify the prognostic significance of LAT1 expression in CRC patients who underwent surgical resection. Materials and Methods: Samples from one hundred and forty-seven patients were examined by immunohistochemistry. The expression of LAT1 and 4F2hc, and the Ki-67 labeling index were assessed using resected tumor specimens. Results: The positive expression of LAT1 and 4F2c was 80% (118/147) and 58% (86/147) (p<0.01), respectively. The expression of LAT1 was identified as an independent significant marker linked to worse prognosis in patients with CRC, and was correlated with tumor cell proliferation, tumor aggressiveness, and metastasis. Moreover, LAT1 was closely associated with the expression of 4F2hc and phosphorylation of the mTOR pathway. Conclusion: LAT1 is a significant molecular marker used to predict prognosis after surgical resection of CRC patients.