Chronic colitis promotes tumor development

Patients with chronic ulcerative colitis have a significantly increased risk of colorectal cancer development. This study was aimed at clarifying whether colitis promotes tumor development or not. A dose of 200 mg/kg body weight 1,2-dimethylhydrazine was given to male Wistar rats. Four weeks later, 5% acetic acid (colitis group) or 0.9% saline (control group) was administered intrarectally once a week for 12 weeks and the rats were sacrificed after 27 weeks of dimethylhydrazine injection. Macroscopic lesions (ML) were more frequently detected in the colitis group than in the control group without statistical significance. However, the number of ML per rat with ML was largest in the colitis group (4.50 vs. 1.33; p=0.039). Eleven of 13 tumors were sessile in the colitis group, while three of five were pedunculated in the control group (p=0.044). All ML of 3 mm or more in diameter in the control group were intramucosal well-differentiated tumors. In the colitis group, 4 of 13 tumors were poorly or moderately differentiated or mucinous carcinomas, and 11 of 13 invaded the submucosal layer or deeper (p=0.003). The number of aberrant crypt foci per rat was smaller in the colitis group than in the control group. The number of crypt orifices was larger in the colitis group than in the control group (23.6 vs. 8.8: p<0.001). Significantly higher proliferative activity of normal-appearing mucosa was noted in the colitis group in all three parts of the colon. Colitis is suggested to promote colonic tumor development.