AIM To detect the expression of trefoil factors(TFFs)and TWIST1 in colorectal cancer(CRC)and analyze their correlation with metastasis and survival.METHODS This study examined the expression of TFF1,TFF3 and TWIST1 in a total of 75 tumor samples,47 matched normal samples(15 cm from the lesion margin),30metastatic lymph nodes,and 10 liver metastatic cancer samples from patients with CRC.The relationship was then analyzed between the protein expression and different clinical records.TFF1,TFF3,TWIST1,E-cadherin,vimentin andβ-catenin m RNA and protein expression levels were measured in colon cancer cell lines with different metastatic potentials(HIEC,HT29,SW620,and Lo Vo cells),and the correlation of the expression levels with epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)was discussed.RESULTS It was found that 66.7%(50/75),78.7%(59/75)and54.7%(41/75)of tumor tissue samples exhibited positive staining for TFF1,TFF3 and TWIST1 and so did 27.3%(13/47),100%(47/47)and 17%(8/47)of adjacent normal colorectal tissues.Compared with adjacent normal tissues,significant differences were found in the expression of all three proteins in different cancerous tissues(P<0.05).Higher expression of TFF3 and TWIST1 was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis(P=0.034,P=0.000),advanced stage(P=0.031,P=0.003),and poorer survival(P=0.042 for the TFF3 group,P=0.003for the TWIST1 group).The expression of TFF3 and TWIST1 in cancer cell lines was higher than that in HIEC(a normal human intestinal epithelial cell line)(P<0.05),and the expression intensity demonstrated a tendency to rise with increased metastatic potential both at the protein and m RNA levels.However,TFF1expression demonstrated the opposite tendency.It was also observed that the expression of E-cadherin andβ-catenin tended to decrease while that of vimentin,TWIST1 and Snail tended to rise with the increase in metastatic potential.CONCLUSION The expression of TFF3 and TWIST1 might be associated with the survival of patients with CRC after curative resection and might be pivotal predictors of disease progression.TFF3 may be correlated to the invasiveness of CRC. AIM To detect the expression of trefoil factors (TFFs) and TWIST1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) and analyze their correlation with metastasis and survival. METHODS This study examined the expression of TFF1, TFF3 and TWIST1 in a total of 75 tumor samples, 47 matched normal samples (15 cm from the lesion margin), 30 metastatic cancer patients from patients with CRC. the relationship between the protein was analyzed and the different clinical records. TFF1, TFF3, TWIST1, E-cadherin, vimentin and β-catenin m RNA and protein expression levels were measured in colon cancer cell lines with different metastatic potentials (HIEC, HT29, SW620, and Lo Vo cells), and the correlation of the expression levels with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was The percentages of TAT1, TFF3 and TWIST1 were 27.3% (50/75), 78.7% (59/75) and 54.7% (41/75) of tumor tissue samples exhibited positive staining for TFF1, 13/47), 100% (47/47) and 17% (8/47) of adjacent normal colo Significant differences were found in the expression of all three proteins in different cancerous tissues (P <0.05) .Higher expression of TFF3 and TWIST1 was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.034, P = 0.000), advanced stage (P = 0.031, P = 0.003), and poorer survival (P = 0.042 for the TFF3 group, P = 0.003 for the TWIST1 group). The expression of TFF3 and TWIST1 in cancer cell lines was higher than that in HIEC (a normal human intestinal epithelial cell line) (P <0.05), and the expression intensity demonstrated a tendency to rise with metastatic potential both at the protein and m RNA levels. However, TFF1 expression demonstrated the opposite tendency. observed that the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin tended to decrease while that of vimentin, TWIST1 and Snail tended to rise with the increase in metastatic potential. CONCLUSION The expression of TFF3 and TWIST1 might be associated with the survival of patients wit hCRC after curative resection and might be pivotal predictors of disease progression. TFF3 may be correlated to the invasiveness of CRC.