Association Between Wnt Signaling-Related Gene Expression and Clinical Features in Iranian Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Potential Diagnostic Insight Publisher



Zargar M ; Anvari AH ; Abbasian MH ; Alipour AH ; Shirkoohi R ; Ganji SM
Source: Gene Reports Published:2026

Abstract

Aberrant activation of the Wnt signaling pathway plays a central oncogenic role in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the expression profiles and clinical significance of multiple Wnt-related genes remain underexplored, particularly in specific populations such as Iranian patients. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of six key Wnt-associated genes and their associations with clinicopathological features in CRC tissues. A case-control study was conducted using 40 advanced colorectal carcinoma tissues and 35 adjacent normal tissues obtained from Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran (2016–2017). Total RNA was extracted and reverse-transcribed, followed by quantitative real-time PCR. Gene expression levels were normalized to β-actin as the reference gene, and correlations with TNM staging parameters were analyzed statistically. Five genes (HIF-1α, GSK3β, BCL9, CCND1, CDK1) were significantly upregulated in CRC tissues compared to normal controls (all P < 0.05), whereas MLH1 was downregulated (P = 0.052, borderline significance). MLH1 expression showed significant negative correlations with tumor stage, lymph node involvement (N), and metastasis (M) (all P = 0.02). GSK3β expression correlated with metastatic status (P = 0.002), BCL9 with tumor size (T) and nodal involvement (P < 0.05), and HIF-1α with tumor stage and nodal status (P < 0.05). This multi-gene expression analysis reveals coordinated dysregulation of Wnt pathway components in CRC, with distinct correlation patterns linking specific genes to disease progression markers. These findings suggest potential applications in molecular staging and therapeutic targeting for Iranian CRC patients. © 2025 Elsevier Inc.