A functional polymorphism within the distal promoter of RUNX3 confers risk of colorectal cancer

High Expression of IRS-1, RUNX3 and SMAD4 Are Positive Prognostic Factors in Stage I-III Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is a common malignancy and a major contributor to human morbidity and mortality. In this study, we explore the expression and prognostic impact of IRS-1, IRS-2, RUNx3, and SMAD4 in colon cancer. Furthermore, we elucidate their correlations with miRs 126, 17-5p, and 20a-5p, which are identified as potential regulators of these proteins. Tumor tissue from 452 patients operated for stage I-III colon cancer was retrospectively collected and assembled into tissue microarrays. Biomarkers' expressions were examined by immunohistochemistry and analyzed using digital pathology. In univariate analyses, high expression levels of IRS1 in stromal cytoplasm, RUNX3 in tumor (nucleus and cytoplasm) and stroma (nucleus and cytoplasm), and SMAD4 in tumor (nucleus and cytoplasm) and stromal cytoplasm were related to increased disease-specific survival (DSS). In multivariate analyses, high expression of IRS1 in stromal cytoplasm, RUNX3 in tumor nucleus and stromal cytoplasm, and high expression of SMAD4 in tumor and stromal cytoplasm remained independent predictors of improved DSS. Surprisingly, with the exception of weak correlations (0.2 < r < 0.25) between miR-126 and SMAD4, the investigated markers were mostly uncorrelated with the miRs. However, weak to moderate/strong correlations (0.3 < r < 0.6) were observed between CD3 and CD8 positive lymphocyte density and stromal RUNX3 expression. High expression levels of IRS1, RUNX3, and SMAD4 are positive prognostic factors in stage I-III colon cancer. Furthermore, stromal expression of RUNX3 is associated with increased lymphocyte density, suggesting that RUNX3 is an important mediator during recruitment and activation of immune cells in colon cancer.

A variant rs6214 within IGF-1 confers risk for ulcerative colitis in Chinese Han populations

Insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has been found to correlate with various diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases including ulcerative colitis (UC). The present study aimed to investigate the plausible association of rs6214 (C > T) within IGF-1 and UC susceptibility in Chinese Han populations. A total of 977 UC patients and 1029 healthy controls were enrolled, and rs6214 was genotyped with PCR and direct sequencing on the ABI 3730XL DNA analyzer platform. Logistic regression analysis was applied for the correlation of rs6214 and UC susceptibility via calculation of odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) adjusted for age and sex under different genetic models. The difference of clinical parameters between genotypes was measured by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Additional functional assays were conducted to establish the probable relationship. The results indicated that the T allele of rs6214 showed roughly 37% greater risk for UC risk in the additive model (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.21-1.55, P < 0.000001) when compared with C allele carriers, and the pattern was similar in other three genetic models. Further stratified analysis suggested that the association was particularly noteworthy in UC patients with extensive colitis and severe condition. Moreover, the blood level of IGF-1 was downregulated in UC patients, and the mRNA level was lower in T allele carriers in rectal tissues of UC cases. Additional luciferase assay demonstrated that rs6214 regulates IGF-1 expression via promoting miR-2053. Collectively, rs6214 increased UC susceptibility and suppresses IGF-1 expression by enhancing miR-2053 binding. The current findings provided evidence that rs6214 is a promising biomarker for UC prediction and prognosis.