Objective   To investigate the correlation between the expression of Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3) and the occurrence of apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells (CRC).

  Methods  Immunohistochemical assays of GOLPH3 and caspase-3 were performed on the paraffin-embedded sections of 62 CRC samples using the standard streptavidin-peroxidase technique. The apoptotic index of the CRCs was examined using the in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick-end labeling technique. The relationship of the GOLPH3 expression, the cell apoptosis, and the clinicopathologic parameters was analyzed.

  Results   The positive rates of GOLPH3 expression were significantly higher in the CRC tissues (53.2%) than in the normal colorectal mucosa (37.2%; P < 0.05). Likewise, GOLPH3 expression was significantly higher in poorly differentiated cancer tissue, tissue outside the serous membrane, metastatic lymph node tissue, and the stage Ⅲ CRCs, as compared with those of the moderately to well differentiated tissue, tissue inside the serous membrane, lymph node tissue without metastasis, and the stage Ⅰ to Ⅱ CRCs (P < 0.05). However, GOLPH3 expression was not significantly correlated with the other clinicopathologic parameters, namely, the age and sex of the patients as well as the site, depth, and length of the invasive tumor (P>0.05). The caspase-3 expression and apoptotic index were significantly lower in the GOLPH3-positive CRC tissue than in the GOLPH3-negative tissue (P < 0.05). GOLPH3 expression was negatively correlated with the apoptotic index of CRCs based on the Spearman correlation (r=-0.320, P < 0.05).

  Conclusion   GOLPH3 overexpression in CRC tissue is negatively correlated with apoptotic index.