Immunohistochemistry of decorin in normal colon (a), colorectal cancer (b), liver metastasis (c), and surrounding liver tissue (d). Decorin expression in primary tumor stroma is usually high (b); however, liver metastasis of the same tumor often displays a reduced amount of the proteoglycan (c). Bar charts represent the amount of decorin (n = 30) (e). Decorin level is lower in the replacement type of metastases than those of desmoplastic ones (f). Metastases of grade III tumors are characterized with lower decorin expression compared to grade II CRC (g). Grade III metastases contain less decorin in their paired primary tumors than those of grade II shown by relative decorin levels (h). N = Normal colon, PT = primary tumor, LM = liver metastasis, SL = surrounding liver, Desm = desmplastic type of LM (n = 20), Repl. = replacement type of LM (n = 10). Grade II: n = 23, grade III: n = 6. Scale bar = 100 µm. Data are presented as mean (S.D.). ** p value < 0.01; *** p value < 0.001.