Modifications of WNT signaling pathway genes including WNT1, KLF5 and WNT16 in colorectal cancer

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) has a high mortality globally and is classified as a main serious type of cancers. Correspondingly, investigating the fluctuations of key genes in dissimilar signaling pathways, show incompatible performance in carcinogenesis and tumorigenesis. So, WNT signaling (Wnt/beta-catenin) is one of the most important in this category. Hence, the alterations of WNT1, KLF5 and WNT16 were measured and analyzed in both tumoral and non tumoral tissues of CRC. Materials and methods: 72 patients with CRC (according to the confirmation of the pathology department) were involved in this project. Basically, 72 tumoral and 72 non-tumoral tissues of each patient after getting patients agreement in Omid Clinic, Babol city, Iran, were investigated, using Real-time PCR in conjunction with the association of all tissues modifications (staging, grading, metastasis and lymph node) in comparison with all gene's upregulation and downregulation. Results: The expression of WNT1, KLF5 and WNT16 genes were upregulated significantly (P = 0.002) importantly, the upregulation of WNT1 expression was associated with tumor size high-grade tumors (P = 0.02), late-stage tumors (P = 0.02) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.05). WNT16 expression was significantly (P = 0.02) associated with lymph node metastasis. Whereas, other clinicopathological features did not show an association with examined gene expression. Conclusion: All these genes including WNT1, KLF5 and WNT16 had a remarkable upregulation in tumoral tissues. Consequently, the alteration of these genes expression indicated that they can be advised as a main diagnostic biomarker in CRC.