BACKGROUND Nitrosylated and non-nitrosylated heme iron from red processed and nonprocessed meat have been associated with increased colorectal carcinogenesis. Mechanisms include oxidative processes. It has been hypothesized that dietary antioxidants could counteract the effects of heme iron. We investigated the relationships between heme iron intake and the risk of colorectal adenomas, and a po...

PURPOSE Colorectal cancer is an important cause of cancer deaths. Here, we focused our investigation on the beta-catenin gene which is implicated in colorectal carcinogenesis and tested whether beta-catenin mRNA is detectable in the plasma of colorectal carcinoma and adenoma patients using quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Plasma beta-catenin mRNA was measured from 5...

Considerable evidence supports the idea that stem-like cells may play an essential role during the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). To accomplish this aim, we use immunohistochemistry (IHC) and double IHC with different potential stem-like markers, anti-musashi (Msi), anti-CD133, anti- LGR5 and anti-ALDH1 to examine the presentation of stem-like cells in different compartments including ...

Consumption of red meat and alcohol are known risk factors for colorectal cancer, but associations for dietary fat remain unclear. We investigated the associations of dietary fat, protein, and energy intake with prevalence of colorectal adenoma.We performed a prospective cross-sectional study on asymptomatic persons who underwent a screening colonoscopy at a single center during a routine healt...

Genomic DNA hypomethylation has been associated with colorectal carcinogenesis. Methionine synthase A2756G (MTR A2756G) is a common nonsynonymous polymorphism in the gene that encodes methionine synthase, a key enzyme in the pathway leading to DNA methylation. Several studies, but not all, have reported relatively lower plasma homocysteine among individuals with the AG or GG genotype. Meanwhile...

Cyclooxygenase-2 is overexpressed in the majority of colorectal tumours leading to elevated levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), promoting many hallmarks of cancer. Importantly, PGE2 is reported to enhance Wnt/β-catenin signalling in colorectal carcinoma cells and in normal haematopoietic stem cells where it promotes stem cell function. Although Wnt signalling plays a crucial role in intestinal s...

PURPOSE Identification of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) associated with development of advanced colorectal adenomas. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Discovery phase: 1,406 Caucasian patients (139 advanced adenoma cases and 1,267 controls) from the Adenoma Prevention with Celecoxib (APC) trial were included in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify variants associated with postpolypect...

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the production of prostaglandins, potent mediators of inflammation. Chronic inflammation plays an important role in the development and progression of colorectal cancer. Aspirin inhibits COX-2 activity and lowers the risk for colorectal adenomas and cancer. We investigated whether common genetic variation in COX-2 influenced risk for ...

Family history of colorectal cancer is a risk factor for sporadic colorectal cancer, but it is not known which step of the adenoma-carcinoma pathway it influences. This case control study investigated the relation between family history of cancer and colorectal adenomas and cancers. Family history of colorectal cancer (FHCRC) was as frequent in small (< 10 mm) adenoma patients (11.7%, n = 154) ...

BACKGROUND Vitamin D status is associated inversely with risk of colorectal cancer, but the association with adenoma risk is less clear. This meta-analysis examined the overall relationship between circulating (plasma or serum) 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], vitamin D intake (dietary, supplemental, or total), and colorectal adenoma incidence in published studies. METHODS A meta-analysis compo...