Cellular Signal Transduction Pathways by Leptin in Colorectal Cancer Tissue: Preliminary Results

The aim of the study was to analyse genes typing with the use of the oligonucleotide microarray technique (HG-U133A, Affymetrix) differentiating colorectal cancer tissues from tissues assessed histopathologically as healthy ones among a panel of 91 mRNA of genes encoding proteins involved in activation of cellular signal transduction pathways by leptin. Frozen tumor specimens from 11 colon cancer patients in various stages of clinical progression of the disease in an I–IV stage scale according to the TNM staging were used in molecular tests. Among the genes participating in the cascade of signal transfer in cell activated by leptin, the following ones: AKT1, STAT3, MCL1 were qualified as differentiating stage I and II and VEGFC, CCNDI the encoding genes respectively as differentiating III and IV stage neoplasm. It is necessary to extend studies of analysis of cellular signal transduction pathways by leptin in colorectal cancer initiation and transformation processes.