A Dinucleotide Deletion in the CD24 Gene Is a Potential Risk Factor for Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Background CD24 is a sialoglycoprotein anchored to the cell surface via glycosylphosphatidylinositol and is involved in intracellular signaling processes. It plays an important role in the early stages of the multistep process of colorectal carcinogenesis. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms in the CD24 gene are reported to exert a diverse effect on cancer risk. We aimed to elucidate whether CD24 TG/del genetic variants are associated with susceptibility to colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods The study included 179 subjects, 36 with CRC (prior to surgery) and 143 healthy control subjects. Deoxyribonucleic acid was purified from peripheral blood leukocytes, and by using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, the CD24 gene was genotyped for the specific genetic variant, TG deletion. Additionally, CD24 protein expression levels were determined by Western blotting analysis. Results The incidence of the TG/del was higher among the CRC patients compared with healthy controls, 14% and 10%, respectively ( P = .54). CD24 protein levels were significantly higher among CRC patients. There were no significant differences in CD24 expression between CRC patients at different stages of the disease or between patients who carry the mutation and those who did not. Conclusions CD24 genetic variant might be of clinical value for risk assessment as part of cancer prevention programs. Further study on larger populations is needed to validate the importance of this dinucleotide deletion in CRC development. Overexpression of CD24 protein occurs early along the multistep process of CRC carcinogenesis, and a simple blood sample based on CD24 expression on peripheral blood leukocytes can contribute to early diagnosis.

Stemness, Inflammation and Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in Colorectal Carcinoma: The Intricate Network

“…CD24 is a small mucin-like cell surface glycoprotein involved in intracellular signalling [ 41 ] and cell clustering [ 42 ]. It is overexpressed in malignant cells in comparison with normal tissues.…”

“…It is overexpressed in malignant cells in comparison with normal tissues. Higher levels of CD24 are associated with worse survival, indirectly suggesting a possible association with stemness [ 41 ]. However, several research teams have questioned this correlation [ 23 ].…”

“…Recently, it has been shown that CD24 overexpression is an early event in colorectal carcinogenesis. Hence, it can represent an oncogene rather than a stem cell marker, although association with stemness is not excluded by these findings [ 41 ]. Interestingly, in stem cell clusters, CD24 seems to be expressed in deeper cells located within the cluster.…”