Qaddoori, Yasir B (YB);Al-Khafaji, Ahmed S K (ASK);Khashman, Basim M (BM);Abdulghafour, Kifah H (KH);

Author information

Exp Oncol.2025 Feb 20;46(4):393-401.doi:10.15407/exp-oncology.2024.04.393

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer, ranking second place in global cancer mortality, arises from diverse causes. There is growing recognition of the substantial involvement of the epigenetic modifications of histones at the DNA level in the occurrence of CRC.

AIM: To assess the expression of p53, HDAC1, and HDAC3 proteins in a cohort of CRC patients and to analyze potential relationship between their expression and the stages of CRC progression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The retrospective investigation was carried out on 95 paraffin-embedded CRC tissue samples. The expression of p53, HDAC1, and HDAC3 was assessed immunohistochemically.

RESULTS: Notably, the expression of the p53 protein in CRC tissue samples exhibited a prominent correlation with the protein expression of both HDAC1 (p < 0.001, rho = 0.522) and HDAC3 (p < 0.001, rho = 0.411), as well as the advanced TNM staging of CRC (p = 0.002, rho = 0.313). Downregulation of p53 was correlated with underexpressed HDAC1 and HDAC3. Nevertheless, the observed expression of p53 exhibited a significant negative correlation with the age of the patients.

CONCLUSION: The data on HDACs-p53 co-expression suggest a possible mechanism of interaction between the expression of these proteins.