Assessment of MUC17 and MUC13 Gene Expression Levels in Tissue Samples of Patients with Colorectal Cancer
Archives of Advances in Biosciences,
Vol. 17 No. 1 (2026),
28 April 2026
,
Page 1-7
https://doi.org/10.22037/aab.v17i1.52472
Abstract
Background and Objective: Cancer is a genetically heterogeneous disease and remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer globally and accounts for approximately 38% of gastrointestinal malignancies. It is the most prevalent cancer of the gastrointestinal tract. In men, colorectal cancer ranks third after lung and prostate cancers, while in women it ranks second after breast cancer. The present study aimed to evaluate the expression levels of MUC17 and MUC13 genes in tissue samples from patients with colorectal cancer.
Methods: In this study, tumor tissues and adjacent normal colorectal tissues were analyzed. A total of 30 tumor samples from patients with colorectal cancer and 30 adjacent normal tissue samples were collected from the tumor bank of the Cancer Institute at the Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex from patients undergoing surgical resection. All tissue samples were preserved in liquid nitrogen tanks. After collection, 100 mg of each tissue sample was finely minced using a surgical scalpel and subsequently homogenized using a tissue homogenizer. Total RNA was extracted, and complementary DNA (cDNA) was synthesized. Gene expression levels of MUC17 and MUC13 were then quantified using real‑time PCR. The obtained data were analyzed along with patients’ clinical information using SPSS software and the t‑test statistical method.
Results: Statistical analysis revealed a significant association between the expression levels of the MUC13 and MUC17 genes and the degree of tumor cell differentiation. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was observed between the expression levels of these genes and patient age. A significant difference in the expression levels of MUC13 and MUC17 was also observed between tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that MUC13 and MUC17 exhibit altered expression patterns between colorectal tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues, suggesting a potential role for these mucins in colorectal cancer development and progression.
- Colorectal cancer
- MUC17
- MUC13
- CRC
- Real time PCR
How to Cite
References
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