Expression of 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1-α-hydroxylase mRNA in individuals with colorectal cancer

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) Vol. 359; no. 9320; pp. 1831 - 1832
• Main Authors: Ogunkolade, BW, Boucher, BJ, Fairclough, PD, Hitman, GA, Dorudi, S, Jenkins, PJ, Bustin, SA
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 25.05.2002; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 1-alpha-Hydroxylase - genetics; 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 1-alpha-Hydroxylase - isolation & purification; Age; Apoptosis; Biopsy; Cancer; Case-Control Studies; Cell proliferation; Colon; Colonic Neoplasms - enzymology; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal carcinoma; Gene expression; Health risks; Humans; Hydroxylase; Medical research; Middle Aged; Mucosa; Phenotype; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Reverse transcription; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - isolation & purification; Tumors; Up-Regulation - genetics; Vitamin D; United Kingdom > UK; Netherlands; Germany
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(02)08680-4

Vitamin D prevents proliferation, promotes differentiation, and induces apoptosis of colon cells, and reduced intake or insufficiency of the vitamin in the body are associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer. Results of previous studies have suggested that mRNA that codes for 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1-α-hydroxylase (1αOHase), which converts 25-hydroxyvitamin D to its active metabolite, might be up regulated in human colon carcinomas. We used real-time reverse transcription PCR assays to measure absolute 1αOHase mRNA concentrations in the colonic mucosa of 44 individuals without cancer, and in paired healthy colon and cancerous colon samples taken from 27 individuals with the disease, to ascertain whether or not such up regulation takes place. Our results suggest that concentrations of 1αOHase mRNA In tumour samples and in healthy colon samples from Individuals without cancer are similar, but that concentrations are significantly lower in the paired, phenotypically healthy mucosa of individuals with cancer.