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Published in: World Journal of Surgery 5/2009

01-05-2009

Aberrant Methylation of the Netrin-1 Receptor Genes UNC5C and DCC Detected in Advanced Colorectal Cancer

Authors: Kenji Hibi, Hiroki Mizukami, Atsushi Shirahata, Tetsuhiro Goto, Makiko Sakata, Yutaka Sanada

Published in: World Journal of Surgery | Issue 5/2009

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Abstract

Background

UNC5C and DCC, the netrin-1 receptors, belong to the functional dependence receptors family, which shares the ability to induce apoptosis in the absence of their ligands. Recently, two reports indicated that UNC5C and DCC methylation was closely associated with loss of gene expression in colorectal cancer. These results prompted us to examine the methylation status of the UNC5C and DCC genes in the colorectal carcinomas we surgically removed.

Methods

The methylation status of the UNC5C and DCC genes were examined in primary carcinomas and the corresponding normal tissues derived from 50 patients with colorectal cancer using quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (qMSP). The correlation between the methylation status and the clinicopathologic findings was then evaluated.

Results

Aberrant methylation of the netrin-1 receptor genes were detected in 41 of the 50 (82%) primary colon cancers, suggesting that the aberrant methylation of netrin-1 receptors was frequently observed in colorectal cancer. The clinicopathologic data were then correlated with this result.

Conclusions

A significant difference was observed in the Dukes stage (p = 0.0438). Netrin-1 receptors might act as a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancers, and thus methylation might present a malignant potential in colorectal cancer.
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Metadata
Title
Aberrant Methylation of the Netrin-1 Receptor Genes UNC5C and DCC Detected in Advanced Colorectal Cancer
Authors
Kenji Hibi
Hiroki Mizukami
Atsushi Shirahata
Tetsuhiro Goto
Makiko Sakata
Yutaka Sanada
Publication date
01-05-2009
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
World Journal of Surgery / Issue 5/2009
Print ISSN: 0364-2313
Electronic ISSN: 1432-2323
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-008-9909-x

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