Altered gene expression in normal colonic mucosa of individuals with polyps of the colon.
OBJECTIVE
Expression levels of many genes are altered in colon cancer, relative to normal colonic mucosa. We recently reported that such differences also exist between grossly normal colonic mucosa of individuals with and without colon cancer, and between individuals with and without a family history of colon cancer. Here we report a study of individuals with no cancer but with polyps in the transverse, ascending/descending, or rectosigmoid colon.


METHODS
Biopsies of grossly normal-appearing colonic mucosa from the rectosigmoid colon were taken from individuals with polyps, with or without personal/family history of colon cancer, and gene expression profiles compared with those from biopsies of control patients, with no polyps or known personal/family history. A global expression analysis was conducted of the same 15 genes used in our previous studies.


RESULTS
We found significant differences in gene expression in normal-appearing rectosigmoid colonic mucosa between individuals with polyps and controls, regardless of whether personal or family history of cancer was present.


CONCLUSIONS
Alterations in gene expression patterns in morphologically normal-appearing colonic mucosa are associated with the presence of adenomatous polyps. Prospective studies will be required to determine whether these alterations in gene expression can be used to predict risk of developing colon cancer.
Hao
Chun-Yi
CY
California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, San Francisco, California 94107, USA.
Moore
Dan H
DH
Chiu
Yanek S Y
YS
Wong
Patrick
P
Bennington
James L
JL
Smith
Andrew P
AP
Chen
Ling-Chun
LC
Lee
Nancy M
NM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D012307:Risk Factors