| [ Summary ] |
Ulcerative colitis (UC) patients are at high risk of developing colorectal cancer. Previous studies have shown that surveillance colonoscopy is effective for early detection of malignancy in UC. To further improve the efficacy of surveillance, it is considered to be very important to identify specific markers to select high risk patients. Studies have shown that some molecular markers may be useful in selecting high risk patients. These markers include P16INK4a, p14 (ARF), HPP1, Mlh1, ER, etc. In these genes, abnormal hypermethylation of CpG islands plays an important role in deactivating their function. Recent advances in DNA microarray technology have demonstrated the potential use of expression profiles for molecular classification of cancer, as well as predicting disease outcome. However, the usefulness of gene expression profiles in predicting the development of cancer and / or dysplasia in UC remains unclear. The present article reviews the significance of hypermethylation analysis of gene promoter regions and DNA microarray analysis in selecting high risk UC patients who may develop UC-associated neoplasms. |