Low-grade slightly elevated and polypoid colorectal adenomas display differential β-catenin-TCF/LEF activity, c-Myc, and cyclin D1 expression.

Aim: To comparatively investigate the cellular and molecular characteristics of low-grade slightly elevated adenomas and polypoid adenomas.

Methods: Colorectal tumors were collected from 24 patients with slightly elevated adenomas and 23 patients with polypoid adenomas. Five commonly mutated genes (, , , , and ) were selected for mutational analysis. Paraffin-embedded tumor sections were used to calculate the apoptotic index (AI) and Ki-67 labeling index (KLI). Two pure colorectal epithelial cell lines were created by pooling the slightly elevated and polypoid tumors. Western blots, luciferase assays for β-catenin-T-cell factor protein/β-catenin-lymphoid enhancer factor (β-catenin-TCF/LEF)-driven transcriptional activity, and caspase activity assays were conducted on the two cell lines.

Results: Slightly elevated lesions showed a significantly lower mutational frequency and a significantly higher mutational frequency (both < 0.05). Slightly elevated lesions showed a significantly lower AI ( < 0.05). β-catenin and β-catenin-TCF/LEF-driven transcriptional activity was significantly upregulated in slightly elevated lesions (both < 0.05). In slightly elevated lesions, c-Myc was significantly downregulated, while cyclin D1 was significantly upregulated (both < 0.05). β-catenin-TCF/LEF-driven transcriptional activity was negatively correlated with c-Myc (ρ = -0.78). Slightly elevated lesions displayed significant Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL upregulation (both < 0.05) along with significant decreases in caspase-9 and caspase-3 activity (both < 0.05). c-Myc was negatively correlated with Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL (ρ = -0.74 and -0.78, respectively).

Conclusion: The lower apoptotic activity of low-grade slightly elevated adenomas can be partly attributed to upregulated β-catenin pathway activity and downregulated c-Myc expression.