Evaluation of epigenetic chromatin histone modification profile in ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer

Background and Aims: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). Epigenetic histone modification play important role in CRC carcinogenesis. In this study, we aim to investigate diagnostic and prognostic value of histone modifications as a marker in UC and CRC patients. Method: 20 persons as a control group, 20 patients with UC and 20 patients with CRC were included in this prospective study. The Human Histone Modification Enzyme RT-PCR array will be used to detect the expression of 84 key genes encoding enzymes in the colon mucosa and the data was compared between CRC, UC and control groups. CRC patients were divided into subgroups according to prognostic sign such as disease stage, tumor differentiation or serum CEA levels. UC patients were divided into subgroups according to risk factors for CRC such as colon involvement, disease activity, and disease duration. The gene expression were analyzed in UC and CRC patient subgroups. Result: HDAC1, HDAC7, PAK1, NEK6, AURKA and AURKB were overexpressed at significantly higher levels in the CRC, than the control group. In the progressive stage; HDAC1, HDAC7, PAK1, NEK6, AURKA, AURKB and in the poor-differentiated tumours; HDAC1, HDAC7, AURKB were overexpressed at significantly higher levels. There was no significant correlation between serum CEA levels and gene expression. HDAC1, PAK1, NEK6, AURKA were overexpressed at significantly higher levels in the UC, than the control group. AURKA, NEK6 were overexpressed at significantly higher levels in UC, who has wide disease involvement of colon and there was no significant correlation between expression of PAK1, HDAC1 and disease involvement of colon. There was no significant correlation between expression of HDAC1, AURKA, NEK6, PAK1 and disease activity in UC. Conclusion: HDAC1, HDAC7, PAK1, NEK6, AURKA and AURKB are diagnostic and prognostic markers in CRC, who play important role in CRC carcinogenesis. HDAC1, AURKA, NEK6, PAK1 can use as a marker in CRC surveillance in UC patients and further studies are needed in this topic.