Annexin A13 promotes tumor cell invasion in vitro and is associated with metastasis in human colorectal cancer

PURPOSE Aberrantly upregulated expression of selected members of annexin, a group of calcium- and membrane-binding proteins, have been found to be associated with metastasis, poor prognosis, and other clinical characteristics in colorectal cancer (CRC), the third most diagnosed cancer. However, ANXA13 (encoding protein annexin A13), the original founder gene of the annexin A family, has not been studied carefully as a potential prognostic biomarker in CRC. METHODS The protein level of annexin A13 was determined by western blot in a panel of CRC cell lines. Tumor cell invasion was determined by a Matrigel in vitro invasion assay in selected CRC cells with either upregulated (via plasmid transfection) or downregulated (via siRNA treatment) expression of ANXA13. The clinicopathological features and prognostic values associated with ANXA13 expression were also evaluated in a group of 125 CRC patients. RESULTS ANXA13 was expressed at a high level in HCT116 and HT29 cells but undetected or at a lower level in SW620, SW48, and Rko cells. CRC cell invasion was promoted by ANXA13 overexpression in SW620 or Rko cells and was reduced by ANXA13 downregulation in HCT116 or HT29 cells. In CRC patients, ANXA13 expression levels correlated with lymph node metastasis and were associated with poor overall survival. CONCLUSIONS ANXA13 is associated with CRC cell invasion in vitro, and with lymph node metastasis and poor survival in CRC patients. Our results indicate that ANXA13 can be exploited as a biomarker for its diagnostic and prognostic values.