Real-time PCR analysis of 124 primary CRC, 46 metastatic tissue, and 124 adjacent normal tissue samples showed significantly higher ITGBL1 mRNA levels in 46 primary CRC tumors and matched metastatic sites than those (78 primary CRC tumors) in the nonmetastatic lesions, and far higher than those in all the adjacent normal tissues (Fig. 1c). This evidence concerns the gene ITGBL1 and colorectal carcinoma.