Colon cancer and protein arginine methyltransferase 1 gene expression.

Background: In this study, the possible relation of the expression pattern of arginine methyltransferase 1 and colon cancer progression is investigated.

Materials And Methods: Colon cancer samples as well as normal colon samples were used to define the arginine methyltransferase 1 expression by RT-PCR. The results were associated with clinical and histological parameters of the tissues.

Results: In colon cancer tissue, only PRMT1 variants v1 and v2 were often expressed. Statistical significance for the clinicopathological parameters examined was found only for PRMT1 variant v2. PRMT1 v2 expression was associated with nodal status and tumour grade. PRMT1 v2 expression analysis in 25 pairs of cancerous/non-cancerous colon tissue showed higher or equal expression in cancer versus normal tissue. In 18 inflamed colon tissues examined for PRMT1 expression and compared with the expression of 90 colon cancer tissue samples, statistical significance was found only for variants v1 and v2. A higher percentage of PRMT1 v2 expression was observed in older patients.

Conclusion: From the present preliminary results, it can be said that PRMT1 variant v2 can probably be regarded as a marker of unfavourable prognosis in colon cancer patients.