RESUMO
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is linked to high mortality, mainly when discovered in its advanced stages. Several studies have pointed to the role of epigenetic factors in CRC and other cancers. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the initiation, progression, metastasis, and modulation of the response to chemotherapeutic modalities of CRC as vital contributors to epigenetic mechanisms. Colon cancer-associated transcript-1 (CCAT1) is one of the lncRNAs that have been dysregulated in serum samples, providing a non-invasive route for diagnosing CRC patients. This study aimed to determine the role of CCAT1 expression as diagnostic and prognostic markers. We tested the associations of CCAT1 expression with serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9). The study included three groups: 41 patients with colorectal cancer, 39 patients with precancerous benign colorectal diseases, and 20 normal control individuals. CEA and CA 19-9 were measured by an immunoassay automated system. The expression level of CCAT1 was assessed by a real-time polymerase chain reaction. There was a statistically significant elevation of serum CEA levels in patients with CRC compared to patients with precancerous benign colorectal diseases. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in serum CA 19-9 levels between all groups (p = 0.102). Interestingly, CCAT1 expression was significantly upregulated in the blood of CRC patients compared to the precancerous benign colorectal diseases group (p = 0.009) and the control group (p <0.001). Also, expression of CCAT1 was significantly elevated in patients with precancerous benign colorectal diseases compared to the control group (p=0.004). In conclusion, measuring the expression level of CCAT1 is more advised than assessment of CEA and CA 19-9 for the early diagnosis and prognosis of colorectal cancer.
Assuntos
Neoplasias do Colo , Lesões Pré-Cancerosas , RNA Longo não Codificante , Humanos , RNA Longo não Codificante/genética , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase em Tempo Real , Antígeno CarcinoembrionárioRESUMO
Central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities are rare in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Direct studies done to investigate brain involvement in RA are few or even absent. We hypothesized that CNS is not excluded from the inflammatory disease process in RA. Thus we systematically investigated markers of brain involvement in 55 females with RA. We examined patients' cognition using battery of sensitive psychometric testing [Mini-Mental State Examination, Stanford-Binet test (fourth edition) and Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised] and by recording P300 component of event-related potentials, a neurophysiological analogue. We also measured the serum levels of S100B and neuron-specific enolase (NSE), markers of glial and neuronal cells. Compared to control subjects, lower scores in cognitive testing were reported in 71% of the patients (n=39) and abnormal P300 latency and amplitude (P<0.001, 0.050). Patients had higher levels of S100B (P<0.029) and higher levels of S100B were correlated with lower total scores of cognitive functions (P<0.01), P300 latency (P<0.05), and NSE concentrations (P<0.01). However, cognitive scores did not correlate with disease activity or severity. Although depression scores were significant in patients with RA (P<0.001), but they did not correlate with cognitive scores. Seven patients had white matter hyperintensities in MRI brain suggesting vasculitis, ischemic brain lesions and dots of demyelination, and all had higher levels of S100B. Results of this study directly indicate that the disease process (inflammation and demyelination) is associated with cognitive deficits observed with RA.