CDH1 POLYMORPHISMS AND LOW EXPRESSION OF E-CADHERIN AND β-CATENIN IN COLORECTAL CANCER PATIENTS

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is critical for tumor progression and metastasis.
• Loss of cell adhesion, involving E-cadherin and β-catenin, is a key EMT step.
• Nuclear translocation of β-catenin activates transcription factors like LEF1, targeting EMT genes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of CDH1 (E-cadherin), CTNNB1 (β-catenin), and LEF1 genes in colorectal cancer (CRC).
• To assess the association between CDH1 polymorphisms and CRC in Italian patients.
• To analyze gene expression levels of CDH1, CTNNB1, and LEF1 in CRC tissues.

Main Methods:

• Association study of four CDH1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 140 Italian CRC patients.
• Gene expression analysis of CDH1, CTNNB1, and LEF1 in 54 paired tumor and adjacent normal tissues from 27 CRC patients.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant association was found between the studied CDH1 polymorphisms and CRC.
• Reduced gene expression of CDH1 (E-cadherin) and CTNNB1 (β-catenin) was observed in cancer tissues compared to normal tissues.
• LEF1 gene expression levels were also analyzed in relation to CDH1 and CTNNB1 expression.

Conclusions:

• The study suggests reduced expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin in colorectal cancer tissues.
• A potential cross-regulation between CDH1 and CTNNB1 in EMT activation warrants further investigation in larger cohorts.
• The findings highlight the complex molecular mechanisms underlying EMT in colorectal cancer.