Resistin in human colon cancer. Increased expression independently of resistin promoter C-180G genotype

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between resistin gene RETN C-180G variant and circulating resistin concentration in Saudi colon cancer patients.

METHODS: This case-control study was conducted in the Biochemistry Department, King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from April 2009 to December 2009. The serum concentration had been measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 60 colon cancer patients and in 60 controls matched in gender and age. The single nucleotide polymorphism SNP C-180G was genotyped using polymerase chain reaction PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism RFLP techniques.

RESULTS: We observed a significantly higher serum resistin level in colon cancer group compared with control group 19.44 ± 8.46 versus 5.45 ± 2.73 ng/ml; p=0.0001, with significant p=0.03 higher levels showed in women than in men in patients and controls. In patients, the heterozygous CG and homozygous GG genotype carriers showed higher p=0.08 levels of serum resistin compared to CC homozygous. This difference was not observed p=0.78 among SNP C-180G genotypes in control group.

CONCLUSION: Our result showed no association between the C-180G SNP and the serum resistin concentrations and suggests that the high resistin level in colon cancer patients may play an important role in colon cancer development.