Gender-associated genomic differences in colorectal cancer: clinical insight from feminization of male cancer cells

Int J Mol Sci. 2014 Sep 29;15(10):17344-65. doi: 10.3390/ijms151017344.

Abstract

Gender-related differences in colorectal cancer (CRC) are not fully understood. Recent studies have shown that CRC arising in females are significantly associated with CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP-high). Using array comparative genomic hybridization, we analyzed a cohort of 116 CRCs (57 males, 59 females) for chromosomal copy number aberrations (CNA) and found that CRC in females had significantly higher numbers of gains involving chromosome arms 1q21.2-q21.3, 4q13.2, 6p21.1 and 16p11.2 and copy number losses of chromosome arm 11q25 compared to males. Interestingly, a subset of male CRCs (46%) exhibited a "feminization" phenomenon in the form of gains of X chromosomes (or an arm of X) and/or losses of the Y chromosome. Feminization of cancer cells was significantly associated with microsatellite-stable CRCs (p-value 0.003) and wild-type BRAF gene status (p-value 0.009). No significant association with other clinicopathological parameters was identified including disease-free survival. In summary, our data show that some CNAs in CRC may be gender specific and that male cancers characterized by feminization may constitute a specific subset of CRCs that warrants further investigation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Chromosomes, Human, X
  • Chromosomes, Human, Y
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / mortality
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Comparative Genomic Hybridization
  • DNA Copy Number Variations
  • Demography
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Feminization
  • Genome, Human*
  • Humans
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
  • Male
  • Microsatellite Instability
  • Middle Aged
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / genetics
  • Sex Factors

Substances

  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf