Association of MALAT1 and PVT1 Variants, Expression Profiles and Target miRNA-101 and miRNA-186 with Colorectal Cancer: Correlation with Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

The influence of and variants on colorectal cancer (CRC) susceptibility and their impact on //epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and //EMT axes in CRC are unknown. We investigated the influence of and on the risk of CRC and adenomatous polyps (AP), their impact on the long noncoding RNAs and expression and their target , /E-cadherin pathways, along with their potential as early CRC biomarkers. Overall, 280 individuals were recruited: 140 patients with CRC, 40 patients with AP, and 100 healthy volunteers. Genotyping and serum expression profiles were assessed using qPCR. The EMT biomarker, E-cadherin, was measured by ELISA. was associated with increased CRC risk, whereas was protective. Serum and were upregulated in CRC and AP patients versus healthy controls, whereas, , and E-cadherin were downregulated in CRC versus non-CRC groups. showed superior diagnostic potential for CRC and predicted CRC risk among non-CRC groups in the multivariate logistic analysis. , , and levels were correlated with E-cadherin, tumor stage, lymph node and distant metastasis. E-cadherin was lost in metastatic vs. non-metastatic CRC. genotype carriers showed higher E-cadherin levels than carriers. was correlated with lymph node status. For the first time, and are potential genetic CRC predisposition markers, with possibly impacting the EMT process. Serum , , and are novel non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers that could improve the clinical outcome of CRC.