Prognostic value of Gli1 expression on colorectal cancer: a retrospective study

Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has been found to correlate with the prognosis of cancers. Nevertheless, few studies have been reported on the prognostic significance of CTCs in colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we detected the CTC count and the expression of glioma-associated oncogene-1 (Gli1) to explore the clinical significance of CTCs in CRC. Methods A total of 310 patients with CRC were enrolled in this study and CTCs were isolated and counted at baseline before chemoradiotherapy. The Gli1 expression of CTCs was performed by RNA-in situ hybridization (RNA-ISH) assay. Results were correlated with patients’ clinicopathological parameters and treatment outcomes. Survival analyses were carried out to determine the prognostic significance. Results Gli1 expression was found in 23.15% patients at baseline. Patients with Gli1 expression had significantly poorer treatment response and metastasis. Besides, Gli1 on CTCs was an independent prognostic indicator for poorer progression-free survival and overall survival. Conclusions The study demonstrated that Gli1 expression and CTC count are promising prognostic indicators in patients with CRC. Further studies are needed to clarify the value of integrating the indicator with current clinical strategies in improving the survival of CRC patients.