Adverse Histopathological Features in Colorectal Cancer Associated with KRAS rs61764370 SNP: A Preliminary Study

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Oncology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• The KRAS rs61764370 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is located in a let-7 microRNA binding site within the KRAS gene's 3' untranslated region (3'UTR).
• This SNP may affect post-transcriptional gene regulation, potentially influencing tumor aggressiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between the KRAS rs61764370 T>G SNP and adverse histopathological features in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Main Methods:

• A preliminary study analyzed 83 CRC patients with TT (wild-type) or TG (heterozygous) genotypes.
• Clinicopathological variables including tumor grade, perineural invasion (PNI), and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) were assessed.
• A composite tumor aggressiveness score was calculated based on differentiation, PNI, and LVI.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found in sex, tumor location, or stage at diagnosis.
• Poorly differentiated tumors (Grade 3) were less common in TG carriers (p=0.06), while low-grade tumors (Grade 1) were more prevalent.
• TG carriers exhibited a lower composite high-aggressiveness score (36.8%) compared to TT patients (48.4%).

Conclusions:

• The KRAS rs61764370 T>G SNP did not show statistically significant associations with adverse histopathological features in CRC.
• A trend towards lower-grade, less aggressive tumors was observed in TG carriers.
• Larger cohorts are needed to validate these preliminary findings due to the limited sample size.