Sonic hedgehog mRNA expression by real-time quantitative PCR in normal and tumor tissues from colorectal cancer patients.
Shh is expressed in the early stages of embryogenesis and in the foregut development. Although Shh has been shown to be overexpressed in brain, pancreas, gastric and lung cancers, its role in the development of colorectal cancer has not been examined. We used real-time quantitative PCR to assess Shh mRNA expression levels in tumor and matched normal tissue from 57 colorectal cancer patients and correlated the results with patient clinicopathological characteristics. Shh expression levels were higher in tumor tissue than in normal tissue from the same patient (P=0.00001). Higher levels of Shh expression were associated with early stage disease (P=0.02). Shh overexpression may influence the development of colorectal cancer.
Department of Anatomy, Faculty Medicine UB, Casanova 143, 08036 Barcelona, and Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Municipal Badalona, Spain. mmonzo@ub.edu
Mariano
M
Monzo
Isabel
I
Moreno
Rosa
R
Artells
Rafael
R
Ibeas
Alfons
A
Navarro
Jose
J
Moreno
Raquel
R
Hernandez
Miquel
M
Granell
Jordi
J
Pie
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics*
D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C509239:SHH protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators