Published in:
23-08-2023 | Ulcerative Colitis | Original Article
Promoter methylation levels of microRNA-124 in non-neoplastic rectal mucosa as a potential biomarker for ulcerative colitis-associated colorectal cancer in pediatric-onset patients
Authors:
Yuhki Koike, Chengzeng Yin, Yuki Sato, Yuka Nagano, Akira Yamamoto, Takahito Kitajima, Tadanobu Shimura, Mikio Kawamura, Kohei Matsushita, Yoshinaga Okugawa, Keishiro Amano, Yoshiki Okita, Masaki Ohi, Mikihiro Inoue, Keiichi Uchida, Masahiro Hirayama, Yuji Toiyama
Published in:
Surgery Today
|
Issue 4/2024
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Abstract
Purpose
To determine the methylation level of the miR-124 promoter in non-neoplastic rectal mucosa of patients with pediatric-onset ulcerative colitis (UC) to predict UC-associated colorectal cancer (UC-CRC).
Methods
Between 2005 and 2017, non-neoplastic rectal tissue specimens were collected from 86 patients with UC, including 13 patients with UC-CRC; cancer tissues were obtained from the latter group. The methylation status of the miR-124 promoter was quantified using bisulfite pyrosequencing and compared between pediatric- and adult-onset UC patients.
Results
Patients with pediatric-onset UC experienced a significantly shorter disease duration than those with adult-onset UC. The levels of miR-124 promoter methylation in non-neoplastic rectal mucosa were positively correlated with the age at the diagnosis and duration of UC. The rate of increase in miR-124 methylation was accelerated in patients with pediatric-onset UC compared to those with adult-onset UC. Furthermore, the miR-124 methylation levels in non-neoplastic rectal mucosa were significantly higher in patients with UC-CRC than in those with UC alone (P = 0.02). A receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that miR-124 methylation in non-neoplastic tissue discriminated between patients with pediatric-onset UC with or without CRC.
Conclusion
miR-124 methylation in non-neoplastic rectal mucosa may be a useful biomarker for identifying patients with pediatric-onset UC who face the highest risk of developing UC-CRC.