Objective：To investigate the relationship between the expression of E-cadherin and integrin α5β1 in colorectal cancer with tumor biological behaviour and patients’ survival. Methods：Immunohistochemical staining of E-cadherin and integrin α5β1 were performed in 41 samples of colorectal carcinoma, and in normal colorectal mucosa samples obtained 10cm from the tumor edge as control. Results：The expression rates of E-cadherin were 49% in colorectal cancer and 100% in normal colon tissues, the former was significant lower than the later and there was significant statistic difference between them (P<0.01). The expressions of E-cadherin related to the differentiation, Dukes classification, and it was decreased along with the decrease of differentiation. The expressions of E-cadherin had negative correlation to lymph node metastasis, but had positive correlation to prognosis. The expression rate of integrin α5β1 was 61% in colorectal cancer, which was higher than 20% in normal colon tissues (P<0.01). The expression of integrin α5β1 had closely relation to the tendency of canceration, clinical progression and lymph node metastasis of colorectal cancer, and had no relationship with general categorization, organization categorization and classification of colorectal cancer. The expression of integrin α5β1 had negative correlation to prognosis. Conclusion：E-cadherin and integrin α5β1 influence the colorectal cancer biology behavior obviously. The E-cadherin expression remarkably reduce the ability of colorectal cancer to invasion and metastasis, and also show good prognosis of patients. Although，integrin α5β1 plays the adverse role in colorectal carcinoma. E-cadherin and integrin α5β1 might play a synergistic role in the pathogenesis of colorectal carcinoma, and might become the clinical predictive markers in colon cancer patients.
