Association between variation of circulating 25-OH vitamin D and methylation of secreted frizzled-related protein 2 in colorectal cancer.

Backgrounds: Colorectal cancer (CRC) results from the accumulation of epigenetic and genetic changes in colon cells during neoplasic transformation, which the activation of Wingless (Wnt) signaling pathway is a common mechanism for CRC initiation. The Wnt pathway is mainly regulated by Wnt antagonists, as secreted frizzled-related protein (SFRP) family. Indeed, SFRP2 is proposed as a noninvasive biomarker for CRC diagnosis.

Relationship of Zonulin with Serum PCSK9 Levels after a High Fat Load in a Population of Obese Subjects.

Despite the fact that circulating levels of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) remain unchanged after fat load in healthy lean individuals, PCSK9 has been suggested to have a role in postprandial lipemia regulation in obese individuals. On the other hand, intestinal permeability and endotoxemia have been observed to increase more in obese individuals than in non-obese individuals after a lipid load. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between PCSK9, intestinal permeability, and endotoxemia after a high fat load in obese individuals.

Keto microbiota: A powerful contributor to host disease recovery.

Gut microbiota (GM) is a key contributor to host metabolism and physiology. Data generated on comparing diseased and healthy subjects have reported changes in the GM profile between both health states, suggesting certain bacterial composition could be involved in pathogenesis. Moreover, studies reported that reshaping of GM could contribute actively to disease recovery.

The Expression/Methylation Profile of Adipogenic and Inflammatory Transcription Factors in Adipose Tissue Are Linked to Obesity-Related Colorectal Cancer.

Obesity is well accepted as crucial risk factor that plays a critical role in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). More specifically, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in people with obesity could produce chronic inflammation and an altered profile expression of key transcription factors that promote a favorable microenvironment to colorectal carcinogenesis. For this, the aim of this study was to explore the relationship between adipogenic and inflammatory transcription factors in VAT from nonobese, obese, and/or CRC patients.

Transcriptional Analysis of FOXO1, C/EBP-α and PPAR-γ2 Genes and Their Association with Obesity-Related Insulin Resistance.

Background: Obesity is associated with several comorbid disorders, ranging from cardiovascular diseases to insulin resistance. In this context, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) seems to have a close connection with insulin resistance. In our study, we hypothesized that the expression profile of key adipogenic genes, such as proliferator-activated receptor γ type 2 (PPAR-γ2), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein type α (C/EBP-α), and forkhead box protein class O type 1 (FOXO1) in VAT should shed light on their association with obesity-related insulin resistance.

Gut Microbiota Composition Is Associated With the Global DNA Methylation Pattern in Obesity.

Obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases are characterized by gut microbiota and epigenetic alterations. Recent insight has suggested the existence of a crosstalk between the gut microbiome and the epigenome. However, the possible link between alterations in gut microbiome composition and epigenetic marks in obesity has been not explored yet.

Novel DNA Methylation Profile Following Neoadjuvant Therapy in Colorectal Cancer Patients with Different Grades of BMI.

The relationship between body weight and different cancers is now well-recognized and among such cancers, colorectal cancer (CRC) is reported most frequently. Our group recently published findings, through an epigenome-wide association study, suggesting that body mass index (BMI) could act as a relevant risk factor in the CRC. In addition, aberrant methylation is one of the major mechanisms for Wnt signaling activation in CRC.