Mismatch repair protein expression in Amsterdam II criteria-positive patients in Taiwan

Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is characterized genetically by germline mutations in DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) has high sensitivity and specificity for identifying MMR-deficient tumours. This study investigated the clinical presentations and frequency of HNPCC in Taiwan by combined Amsterdam II criteria (AC-II) and IHC.

In 1995-2003, 7108 patients with primary colorectal cancer registered in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital's Colorectal Cancer Registry were screened using AC-II. Tumour specimens were analysed for MMR protein expression by IHC, and relevant clinicopathological details were documented.

Some 83 patients fulfilled the AC-II. Clinicopathologically, 43 patients (52 per cent) had proximal tumours, ten (12 per cent) had poorly differentiated cancers, 17 (20 per cent) had mucinous adenocarcinoma and 51 (61 per cent) had stage I-II tumours. Seventeen patients developed second primary colonic and extracolonic cancers over a mean 7.2-year follow-up. Immunohistochemically, 58 patients were MMR protein deficient. They had a significantly earlier age of onset (P < 0.001), more proximal tumour location (P = 0.002), less advanced tumour stage (P = 0.008) and more second primary cancers (P = 0.017) compared with MMR-competent patients.

These data show significant differences in clinical features between MMR protein-deficient and MMR competent subgroups.