Objective       To determine the expression level of 3β-hydor-xysteroid-△24 reducase (DHCR24) in colorectal cancer and adjacent mucosa tissues

and explore its clinical significance.       Methods       Tissue microarray and immunohistochemical staining was applied for the detection of DHCR24 expression in 125 cases of colorectal cancer and 63 adjacent mucosa tissues through surgical treatment. The results were analyzed with the clinical data.       Results       The positive expression rate of DHCR24 was significantly higher in the colorectal cancer tissue than in the adjacent mucosa tissue (67.2% vs 39.7%

P0.01). DHCR24 expression was significantly correlated with tumor differentiation degree

clinical stage and lymph node metastasis (P0.05). The patients with high expression of DHCR24 had poorer prognosis (P0.01). Among the patients who had advanced-stage colorectal cancer

higher DHCR24 expression suggested a poorer survival (P0.01). But no such suggestion was seen in the patients at early stage disease (P0.05).       Conclusion        DHCR24 is highly expressed in colorectal cancer tissue

and the patients with high expression predicts poorer prognosis. DHCR24 might play an important role in the malignant progression of colorectal cancer.