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Aberrant expression of sonic hedgehog pathway in colon cancer and melanosis coli
Author(s) -
Wang Zhong Chuan,
Gao Jun,
Zi Shu Ming,
Yang Ming,
Du Peng,
Cui Long
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of digestive diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1751-2980
pISSN - 1751-2972
DOI - 10.1111/1751-2980.12060
Subject(s) - sonic hedgehog , ptch1 , hedgehog , hedgehog signaling pathway , patched , cancer research , colorectal cancer , biology , gli2 , microbiology and biotechnology , cancer , pathology , signal transduction , medicine , biochemistry , genetics
Objective To determine the hedgehog ( H h) signaling pathway correlated with the development of colon cancer and melanosis coli. Methods Protein and m RNA levels of Hh signaling pathway components (sonic hedgehog [Shh], protein patched homolog 1 [Ptch 1], GLI family zinc finger 1 [Gli 1] and suppressor of fused homolog [Drosophila] [Sufu]) in 127 patients with colon cancer, 36 with melanosis coli and 20 adjacent normal mucosal tissues taken from surgical specimens were evaluated using antibody staining and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Results I n adjacent normal tissue Shh and Ptch1 , but not G li1 or Sufu , were weakly expressed and mainly in the lining epithelium of the colonic mucosa. In cancerous tissues Shh and G li1 were uniformly strong while Ptch1 was patchy and weak, and Sufu uniformly weak, which paralleled their levels of corresponding m RNA . Elevated protein levels of Shh and Ptch were significantly associated with mucinous colonic tissues. Elevated Sufu protein levels were positively correlated with the diameter and invasion of the tumor. In patients with melanosis coli, m RNA levels of Shh , Ptch1 , G li1 and Sufu were very low, which was similar to those of adjacent normal tissues; but protein levels of Shh , Ptch1 and G li1, but not Sufu , were high, which was similar to those of cancerous tissues. Conclusions The m RNA and protein levels of H h pathway components are aberrantly elevated in colon cancer, which may be the potential molecular classification markers. Further studies are required to determine the role of melanosis coli in the colon tumorigenesis.