Clinical significance of UNC5B expression in colorectal cancer

  • Authors:
    • Satoshi Okazaki
    • Toshiaki Ishikawa
    • Satoru Iida
    • Megumi Ishiguro
    • Hirotoshi Kobayashi
    • Tetsuro Higuchi
    • Masayuki Enomoto
    • Kaoru Mogushi
    • Hiroshi Mizushima
    • Hiroshi Tanaka
    • Hiroyuki Uetake
    • Kenichi Sugihara
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: September 15, 2011     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2011.1201
  • Pages: 209-216
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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find a methylation-related gene that could become a biomarker or therapeutic target in colorectal carcinoma (CRC). We screened candidate genes suspected to be silenced by DNA methylation using cDNA microarray analysis. To investigate the clinical significance of one candidate gene (UNC5B), we analyzed the correlation between mRNA expression and clinicopathological features using clinical tissue samples. Moreover, methylation specific PCR analysis was performed to reveal whether the promoter region was methylated in CRC cell lines. We found 75 candidate genes that were potentially suppressed by DNA methylation in CRC. We focused on UNC5B, a possible tumor suppressor gene and regulator of apoptosis known to be inactivated in CRC. The mRNA expression analysis using tissue samples revealed that UNC5B mRNA was down-expressed in about 20% of CRC patients, and the patients with low-UNC5B-expression tumors showed a significantly higher recurrence rate after curative surgery. According to the univariate and multivariate analysis, low UNC5B expression was an independent risk factor for postoperative recurrence in stage I, II and III CRC patients. Furthermore, patients with low expression of UNC5B in tumors had significantly poorer prognosis than those with high expression of UNC5B. Although UNC5B mRNA expression was restored by the demethylation treatment in CRC cell lines, the promoter region of UNC5B was not methylated. UNC5B is a potential biomarker for the selection of patients with high risk of postoperative recurrence and worse prognosis in CRC.

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January 2012
Volume 40 Issue 1

Print ISSN: 1019-6439
Online ISSN:1791-2423

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Spandidos Publications style
Okazaki S, Ishikawa T, Iida S, Ishiguro M, Kobayashi H, Higuchi T, Enomoto M, Mogushi K, Mizushima H, Tanaka H, Tanaka H, et al: Clinical significance of UNC5B expression in colorectal cancer . Int J Oncol 40: 209-216, 2012
APA
Okazaki, S., Ishikawa, T., Iida, S., Ishiguro, M., Kobayashi, H., Higuchi, T. ... Sugihara, K. (2012). Clinical significance of UNC5B expression in colorectal cancer . International Journal of Oncology, 40, 209-216. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2011.1201
MLA
Okazaki, S., Ishikawa, T., Iida, S., Ishiguro, M., Kobayashi, H., Higuchi, T., Enomoto, M., Mogushi, K., Mizushima, H., Tanaka, H., Uetake, H., Sugihara, K."Clinical significance of UNC5B expression in colorectal cancer ". International Journal of Oncology 40.1 (2012): 209-216.
Chicago
Okazaki, S., Ishikawa, T., Iida, S., Ishiguro, M., Kobayashi, H., Higuchi, T., Enomoto, M., Mogushi, K., Mizushima, H., Tanaka, H., Uetake, H., Sugihara, K."Clinical significance of UNC5B expression in colorectal cancer ". International Journal of Oncology 40, no. 1 (2012): 209-216. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2011.1201