MiR-486-5p Downregulation Marks an Early Event in Colorectal Carcinogenesis

MicroRNAs are dysregulated in colorectal cancer and subsets correlated with advanced tumor stage and metastasis. Data are lacking on microRNA dysregulation from early to late-stage disease.

The purpose of this study was to identify a microRNA signature associated with the primary tumor and metastatic site in stage IV disease and to examine whether the signature is evident in earlier stages.

A microRNA profile was generated and then explored in normal colon tissue (n = 5), early stage (stage I and II; n = 10), and late-stage (stage III and IV; n = 14) colorectal primary tumors via polymerase chain reaction to delineate molecular events that may promote colorectal carcinogenesis.

Genome-wide microRNA expression profiling was performed.

A total of 14 patient-matched stage IV primary colorectal cancer tumors and corresponding liver metastases were included.

MicroRNA array technology was used to identify microRNA expression-predictive metastatic potential in the primary tumor.

A distinct 9-member signature group of microRNAs was concurrent in stage IV primary colorectal cancer and their corresponding liver metastases, when compared with surrounding unaffected colon and liver tissue (microRNA-18b, microRNA-93, microRNA-182, microRNA-183, microRNA21, microRNA-486-5p, microRNA-500a, microRNA-552, and microRNA-941). Of the microRNA panel, only microRNA486-5p was differentially expressed in early stage colorectal cancer samples compared with normal tissue (p = 0.001) and additionally differentially expressed between late-stage colorectal cancer samples and normal tissue (p < 0.01).

Our microRNA profile was generated in a small subset of patients and will require validation in more samples.

We identified a distinct microRNA signature in primary colon and matched metastatic disease. On additional investigation, 1 microRNA was differentially expressed in both early and late-stage cancer patient samples, and it may herald an early event in colorectal carcinogenesis. This study warrants additional investigation with a larger patient cohort to better understand the effect of microRNAs in carcinogenesis. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A723.