Abstract

Background: Autofluorescence imaging (AFI) is useful for diagnosing colon neoplasms, but what affects the AFI intensity remains unclear. This study investigated the association between AFI and the histological characteristics, aberrant methylation status, and aberrant expression in colon neoplasms. Methods: Fifty-three patients with colorectal neoplasms who underwent AFI were enrolled. The AFI intensity (F index) was compared with the pathological findings and gene alterations. The F index was calculated using an image analysis software program. The pathological findings were assessed by the tumor crypt density, cell densities, and N/C ratio. The aberrant methylation of p16, E-cadherin, Apc, Runx3, and hMLH1 genes was determined by a methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. The aberrant expression of p53 and Ki-67 was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. Results: An increased N/C ratio, the aberrant expression of p53, Ki-67, and the altered methylation of p16 went together with a lower F index. The other pathological findings and the methylation status showed no association with the F index. Conclusions: AFI reflects the nuclear enlargement of tumor cells, the cell proliferation ability, and the altered status of cell proliferation-related genes, indicating that AFI is a useful and practical method for predicting the dysplastic grade of tumor cells and cell proliferation.

Highlights

  • Colon cancer is a common tumor-causing disease and one of the most frequent causes of death in both Eastern and Western countries

  • A univariate analysis showed that the fluorescence index (F index) showed no association with the tumor crypt and inflammatory cell density (Figure 1A,B), the tumor cell density and N/C ratio were significantly proportional to the F index (p < 0.05; Figure 1C,D)

  • The multivariate analysis to identify associations between the F index and all pathological factors revealed that the N/C ratio was the only factor that independently affected the F index (Table 1)

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Summary

Conclusions

AFI reflects the nuclear enlargement of tumor cells, the cell proliferation ability, and the altered status of cell proliferation-related genes, indicating that AFI is a useful and practical method for predicting the dysplastic grade of tumor cells and cell proliferation.

Introduction
Results
Relationship between the F index and the Aberrant
Discussion
Samples
AFI colorectal neoplasms as diagnosed at Asahikawa Medical
Histological Assessment
Immunohistochemistry
DNA Preparation and Methylation-Specific PCR
Statistical Analyses

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