Expression and Polymorphism of TSLP/TSLP Receptors as Potential Diagnostic Markers of Colorectal Cancer Progression

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Inflammation is considered as a critical driver for CRC development and growth. We investigated the association between polymorphisms/expression levels of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) /TSLP receptors and CRC risk in Saudi population. DNA samples were isolated from blood samples from 220 participants. Case subjects were 112 patients diagnosed with CRC, while control subjects were 108 healthy individuals, who were not diagnosed with any type of malignancy. We selected two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the thymic stromal lymphopoietin gene (rs10043985 and rs2289276), three SNPs in TSLP receptor gene (TSLPR; rs36139698, rs36177645, and rs36133495), and two other SNPs in interleukin-7 receptor gene (IL-7R; rs12516866 and rs1053496), and designated these SNPs for a case-control genotyping study. The gene expression was analyzed using quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry assays array on 20 matching colorectal cancer/normal tissues. mRNA expressions and protein levels of TSLP, TSLPR-α subunit, and IL-7R-α subunit showed a 4-fold increase in colon cancer tissues when compared to normal colon tissues. Furthermore, two SNPs (rs10043985 of TSLP and rs1053496 of IL-7R) showed statistically significant correlations with CRC susceptibility. Interestingly, only rs10043985 showed a statistically significant association (p < 0.0001) in the genotypic and phenotypic levels with CRC for all clinical parameters (age, gender, and tumor location) tested. However, IL-7R rs1053496 genotyping results presented a significant correlation (p < 0.05) in male CRC patients and in individuals under 57 years of age. TSLP rs2289276, IL-7R rs12516866, and all TSLPR variants did not display any significant genotypic or phenotypic correlations in all tested clinical parameters. This study identified that TSLP rs10043985 and IL-7R rs1053496 SNPs, and the expression levels of TSLP and TSLPR-α subunit, can be used as markers for CRC development and treatment. However, additional investigations are required on larger group of patients from diverse ethnicities to confirm the genetic association of these variants to CRC.