Factors that contribute to faecal cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA expression in subjects with colorectal cancer

• Published in: British journal of cancer Vol. 102; no. 5; pp. 916 - 921
• Main Authors: Hamaya, Y, Yoshida, K, Takai, T, Ikuma, M, Hishida, A, Kanaoka, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02-03-2010; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/208/199; 631/45/607/1167; 692/699/67/1504/1885; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; beta 2-Microglobulin - genetics; beta 2-Microglobulin - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cadherins - genetics; Cadherins - metabolism; Cancer Research; Carcinoembryonic Antigen - genetics; Carcinoembryonic Antigen - metabolism; Case-Control Studies; Cohort Studies; Colon - metabolism; Colon - pathology; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal Neoplasms - genetics; Colorectal Neoplasms - metabolism; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; Cyclooxygenase 2 - genetics; Cyclooxygenase 2 - metabolism; Drug Resistance; Epidemiology; Feces - chemistry; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Molecular Diagnostics; Molecular Medicine; Oncology; Prognosis; Rectum - metabolism; Rectum - pathology; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Survival Rate; Tumors; Young Adult; exfoliated cell; colorectal cancer; faeces; RNA; COX-2; Human; Rectal disease; Enzyme; Cyclooxygenase 2; Colorectal cancer; Malignant tumor; Colonic disease; Cancerology; Messenger RNA; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Oxidoreductases; Feces; Cancer
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6605564

Background:
We previously reported that a faecal cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA assay was useful for identifying colorectal cancer (CRC). This study sought to investigate the factors that contribute to faecal COX-2 mRNA expression in subjects with CRC.
Methods:
The study cohort comprised 78 patients with CRC and 36 control subjects. The expressions of COX-2,
β
-2-microglobulin (B2M), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), E-cadherin (E-cad), and CD45 mRNA in faeces and COX-2 mRNA expression in tissue were determined by quantitative real-time RT–PCR.
Results:
The level of faecal expression of COX-2 mRNA in CRC was significantly higher than that in controls. A significant correlation was found between faecal COX-2 mRNA expression and faecal B2M, CEA, E-cad, or CD45 mRNAs, markers of exfoliated total cells, colonocytes, and leukocytes, respectively. A significant correlation was found between the expression of COX-2 mRNA in faeces and tumour surface area, COX-2 mRNA expression in primary tumour. There was no difference in faecal COX-2 mRNA expression between proximal CRC and distal CRC.
Conclusion:
COX-2 mRNA expression in faeces seems to originate from tumour lesion and to be affected by factors such as the number of exfoliated cells, exfoliation of inflammatory cells, COX-2 mRNA expression in tumour, and tumour size.