Expression of Long Non-Coding RNA H19 and miR-675 in Patients with Colorectal Cancer and Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC), which has a high mortality rate, is one of the most common malignancies. It is a growing public health problem that recently encompasses the younger age group. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), like (UC), is a risk factor for CRC. The aim of this study was to test the expression of microRNA-675 (miR-675) and long noncoding RNA H19 (H19) for their diagnostic and prognostic potential in CRC and UC. Methods and Results: This prospective cross-sectional study included 60 patients diagnosed with CRC, 60 patients with UC, and 30 healthy subjects as controls. The real-time RT-PCR technique quantified the expressions of the non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) miR-675 and lncH19. The biochemical and radiological findings were assessed and correlated with the expression of the genetic biomarkers. H19 showed high expression in both CRC and UC groups, which is significantly different from the control group. There was a significantly enhanced expression of H19 in CRC, compared to the UC group. Increased H19 expression was detected in the caecum and ascending colonic lesions, with a significant difference from flexures and transverse colon (P=0.010), and recto-sigmoid colon (P=0.05). Although miR-675 showed downregulation in both UC and CRC groups, it revealed a higher expression in CRC when compared to the UC group. Conclusion: Based on our findings, we can conclude that H19 can be a potential noninvasive biomarker for the diagnosis of UC and early detection of CRC.

Keywords

• lnch19
• mir-675
• colorectal cancer
• ulcerative colitis