AUTHOR=Pavlič Ana , Urh Kristian , Štajer Katarina , Boštjančič Emanuela , Zidar Nina 

TITLE=Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Colorectal Carcinoma: Comparison Between Primary Tumor, Lymph Node and Liver Metastases

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2021.662806

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2021.662806

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p>There is emerging evidence suggesting that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) play an important role in colorectal carcinoma (CRC), but their exact role remains controversial. Our aim was to analyze the miR-200 family as EMT markers and their target genes expression at invasive tumor front and in nodal and liver metastases. Sixty-three formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 19 patients with CRC were included. Using a micropuncture technique, tissue was obtained from central part and invasive front of the primary tumor, and nodal and liver metastases. Expression of the <italic>miR-200</italic> family and their target genes <italic>CDKN1B, ONECUT2, PTPN13, RND3, SOX2, TGFB2</italic> and <italic>ZEB2</italic> was analyzed using real-time PCR. We found <italic>miR-200</italic> family down-regulation at invasive front compared to central part, and up-regulation of <italic>miRNA-200a/b/c</italic> and <italic>miR-429</italic> in metastases compared to invasive front. At invasive front, <italic>TGFB2</italic> was the only gene with inverse expression to the miR-200 family, whereas in metastases inverse expression was found for <italic>ONECUT2</italic> and <italic>SOX2. CDKN1B, PTPN13</italic> and <italic>ZEB2</italic> were down-regulated at invasive front and up-regulated in metastases. Our results suggest the involvement of partial EMT at invasive tumor front, and partial MET in metastases in CRC, based on miR-200 family and its target genes expression.</p>