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Quantification of human intestinal gene expression profiles using exfoliated colonocytes: a pilot study
Laurie A Davidson1, Joanne R Lupton, Emil Miskovsky
1Faculty of Nutrition and the Center for Environmental and Rural Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2471, USA.
Summary
This study shows that messenger RNA (mRNA) from exfoliated colonocytes in stool can detect early colon cancer and inflammation. This non-invasive method offers a promising approach for colorectal cancer screening and diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Molecular Biology
- Oncology
Background:
- Early detection of colon cancer significantly improves cure rates.
- Non-invasive screening methods are highly desirable to reduce patient anxiety and improve early detection of colorectal cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a novel non-invasive methodology for quantifying colonic messenger RNAs (mRNAs) from exfoliated colonocytes in human stool.
- To assess the potential of exfoliated colonocyte mRNA expression as a biomarker for early colon cancer detection and chronic inflammation.
Main Methods:
- Isolated intact eukaryotic mRNA from exfoliated colonocytes present in the fecal stream.
- Evaluated the expression of 11 putative biomarkers using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
- Normalized biomarker expression to TATA box binding protein mRNA levels in normal, inflamed, and tumor-bearing subjects.
Main Results:
- Tumor-bearing subjects with adenoma showed elevated levels of cyclin D1 mRNA (p = 0.041).
- Subjects with colon inflammation exhibited higher cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA levels (p = 0.007).
Conclusions:
- mRNA isolated from exfoliated colonocytes shows potential for detecting early-stage colon cancer and chronic inflammation.
- Further research is needed to develop a multi-target assay panel for robust diagnosis and prediction of colon cancer.
Keywords:
Non-programmatic