Evaluation of Radiotherapy on miR-374 Gene Expression in Colorectal Cancer Patient Blood Samples

Platelet-Derived circRNAs hsa_circ_0004771 and hsa_circ_0019120 Differentially Expressed in Colorectal Cancer and Polyps

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early detection is crucial for improving survival rates. Liquid biopsies, specifically analyzing circulating tumor-educated platelets (TEPs), have emerged as a promising tool for early CRC detection and monitoring treatment efficacy. This study investigated the expression levels of two specific circRNAs, hsa_circ_0004771 and hsa_circ_0019120, in the platelets of patients with CRC, advanced polyps, and healthy controls.

Methods

Blood samples were obtained from 25 individuals with CRC, 25 individuals with advanced polyps, and 25 healthy controls. Platelet-derived total RNA was extracted, and expression analysis was conducted using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Differential expression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed using GraphPad Prism.

Results

Both circRNAs were found to be upregulated in platelets from individuals with advanced polyps and CRC compared to healthy individuals. However, the upregulation was statistically significant only for hsa_circ_0004771 in CRC patients (p-value = 0.0036) and for hsa_circ_0019120 in both advanced polyp (p-value = 0.0175) and CRC patients (p-value = 0.0356). The combined analysis of both circRNAs achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.8348 (95% CI: 0.7131 to 0.9565) with a sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 80% (p-value = 0.0002).

Conclusions

This study showed that hsa_circ_0004771 and hsa_circ_0019120 dysregulated in both CRC and polyps and have potential as a novel diagnostic biomarker of CRC.

Serum miR-23 and miR-150 Profiles as Biomarkers for Predicting Recurrence following Surgical Intervention in Colorectal Cancer Patients

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play pivotal roles in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression and have emerged as crucial regulators in cancer development, progression, and metastasis. This study aimed to assess the expression profiles of miR-23, miR-223, miR-1246, and miR-150 in serum samples obtained from colorectal cancer (CRC) patients before and three months after surgery, in comparison to a healthy control group, to explore their biomarker potential.

Methods

A total of 50 blood samples were collected from patients with CRC (pre- and post-surgery), along with 50 samples from healthy controls. The relative expression levels of miR-23, miR-223, miR-1246, and miR-150 in the serum were quantified using quantitative real-time PCR.

Results

Our findings revealed upregulated expression levels of miR-23, miR-1246, and miR-223, while miR-150 exhibited significant downregulation in the serum of CRC subjects compared to healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that miR-23 and miR-150 could distinguish CRC cases from controls with relatively high accuracy. Moreover, three months post-surgery, miR-23, miR-1246, and miR-223 serum levels were downregulated, and miR-150 was significantly upregulated. However, no significant correlations were observed between serum levels of the studied genes and the clinical features of our patients.

Conclusions

The serum levels of miR-23 and miR-150 hold promise as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of CRC.

Association of lncRNA THRIL, HOTAIR genes variations and expression levels with pulmonary tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). This study aims to investigate the involvement of lncRNA THRIL and HOTAIR gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and their expression levels in PTB susceptibility.

METHODS

A total of 456 PTB patients and 464 healthy controls participated in our study. we genotyped six SNPs of THRIL and HOTAIR genes using an improved multiple ligase detection reaction (iMLDR). Additionally, real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was employed to detect the expression levels of THRIL and HOTAIR in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 78 PTB patients and 84 healthy controls.

RESULTS

No significant differences in allele and genotype frequencies were observed for THRIL rs1055472, rs11058000, and HOTAIR rs12427129, rs1899663, rs4759314, and rs7958904 polymorphisms between PTB patients and healthy controls (all P > 0.05). Moreover, genotype frequencies of all SNPs did not show any association with PTB susceptibility in the dominant-recessive model. However, the frequencies of rs7958904 CC genotype and C allele in the HOTAIR gene were significantly correlated with leukopenia in PTB patients. Furthermore, the expression levels of the HOTAIR gene were significantly elevated in PTB patients compared to controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study indicates that THRIL and HOTAIR gene SNPs might not contribute to PTB susceptibility, while the level of HOTAIR was increased in PTB patients.

Evaluation of lncRNA FOXD2-AS1 Expression as a Diagnostic Biomarker in Colorectal Cancer

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is still considered one of the prevalent cancers worldwide. Investigation of potential biomarkers for early detection of CRC is essential for the effective management of patients using therapeutic strategies. Considering that, this study was aimed to examine the changes in lncRNA FOXD2-AS1 expression through colorectal tumorigenesis.

Methods

Fifty CRC tumor tissues and fifty adjacent normal tissue samples were prepared and involved in the current study. Total RNA was extracted from the samples and then reverse transcribed to complementary DNA. Next, the expression levels of lncRNA FOXD2-AS1 were evaluated using real-time PCR in CRC samples compared to normal ones. Also, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of FOXD2-AS1 for CRC.

Results

The obtained results showed that the expression level of FOXD2-AS1 gene was significantly (p<0.0001) up-regulated in tumor tissues compared to normal marginal tissues. Also, a significant correlation was observed between higher the expression of FOXD2-AS1and the differentiation of tumor cells. Furthermore, ROC curve analysis estimated an AUC value of 0.59 for FOXD2-AS1, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic target.

Conclusion

Taken together, the current study implied that tissue-specific upregulation of lncRNA FOXD2-AS1 might be appropriate diagnostic biomarkers for CRC. Nonetheless, more studies are needed to validate these results and further illustrate FOXD2-AS1 function through colorectal tumorigenesis.