Carbohydrate-containing molecules as potential biomarkers in colon cancer

OMICS. 2014 Apr;18(4):231-41. doi: 10.1089/omi.2013.0128. Epub 2014 Feb 6.

Abstract

Glycans play a critical role in physiological and pathological processes through interaction with a variety of ligands. Altered expression and dysregulation of these molecules can cause aberrant cellular function such as malignancy. Glycomics provide information of the structure and function of glycans, glycolipids, and glycoproteins such as proteoglycans, and may help to predict cancer development and progression as biomarkers. In this report, we compared the expression of proteoglycans, the content and structure of glycosaminoglycans and glycolipids between patient-matched normal and cancer tissues obtained from colon cancer patients. Tumor-related proteoglycans, glypican-3, and syndecan-1 showed downregulation in cancer tissues compared to normal tissues. In cancer tissue, the total amount of chondroitin sulfate (CS)/dermatan sulfate and heparan sulfate were lower and, interestingly, the level of disaccharide units of both 4S6S (CS-E) and 6S (CS-C) were higher compared to normal tissue. Also, overall lipids including glycolipids, a major glycomics target, were analyzed by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Increase of lyso-phosphatidylcholine (phospholipid), sphingomyelin (sphigolipid), and four types of glycolipids (glucosylceramide, lactosylceramide, monosialic acid ganglioside, and globoside 4) in cancer tissue showed the possibility as potential biomarkers in colon cancer. While requiring the need for careful interpretation, this type of broad investigation gives us a better understanding of pathophysiological roles on glycosaminoglycans and glycolipids and might be a powerful tool for colon cancer diagnosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / chemistry*
  • Adenocarcinoma / diagnosis
  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antigens, CD / analysis
  • Antigens, CD / chemistry
  • Biomarkers / chemistry
  • Carbohydrate Sequence
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Chondroitin Sulfates / analysis
  • Chondroitin Sulfates / chemistry
  • Colonic Neoplasms / chemistry*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Colonic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Dermatan Sulfate / analogs & derivatives
  • Dermatan Sulfate / analysis
  • Dermatan Sulfate / chemistry
  • Female
  • Gangliosides / analysis
  • Gangliosides / chemistry
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Globosides / analysis
  • Globosides / chemistry
  • Glucosylceramides / analysis
  • Glucosylceramides / chemistry
  • Glypicans / chemistry
  • Glypicans / genetics
  • Heparitin Sulfate / analysis
  • Heparitin Sulfate / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Lactosylceramides / analysis
  • Lactosylceramides / chemistry
  • Lysophosphatidylcholines / analysis
  • Lysophosphatidylcholines / chemistry
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Sphingomyelins / analysis
  • Sphingomyelins / chemistry
  • Syndecan-1 / chemistry
  • Syndecan-1 / genetics

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • Biomarkers
  • Gangliosides
  • Globosides
  • Glucosylceramides
  • Glypicans
  • Lactosylceramides
  • Lysophosphatidylcholines
  • Sphingomyelins
  • Syndecan-1
  • dermatan sulfate chondroitin sulfate
  • sialogangliosides
  • globotetraosylceramide
  • Dermatan Sulfate
  • CDw17 antigen
  • Chondroitin Sulfates
  • Heparitin Sulfate