Clinical-Molecular characteristics and Post-Translational modifications of colorectal cancer in north China: Implications for future targeted therapies

This study delineated the elucidate molecular changes and their post-translational modifications (PTMs) in heterogenetic colorectal cancer (CRC) for a deeper understanding of the CRC pathophysiology and identifying potential therapeutic targets. In this retrospective study, the profiles of 13 hot spot gene mutations were analyzed and the microsatellite instability (MSI) status was determined.Employing the Circulating Single-Molecule Amplification and Resequencing Technology (cSMART) assay, the clinical-pathological features of CRC were characterized in 249 Chinese patients. PTMs were quantified online.Among the patients with CRC, the mutation frequencies of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, TP53, and APC genes were 47.8%, 3.6%, 4.8%, 13.7%, 55.8%, and 36.9%, respectively. The proportion of MSI-high (MSI-H) was 7.8%.Subsequent multiple logistic regression analysis showed significant associations including a link between lung metastasis and KRAS mutation, between liver metastasis and lymph node metastasis, between MSI-H and early-onset CRC (EOCRC) and KRAS mutation, between right-sided colon cancer and peritoneal metastasis, and between PIK3CA mutation and PTEN mutation. Patients with KRAS mutation presented with MSI-H, lung metastasis, and PIK3CA mutation. MSI-H, BRAF mutation, and PTEN mutation were more frequent in EOCRC. Phosphorylation and ubiquitylation were found in KRAS, BRAF, PTEN, and SMAD4; SUMOylation and ubiquitylation were observed in HRAS and NRAS; while phosphorylation was obvious in APC, P53, and MLH1. Notably, Phosphorylation and ubiquitylation were the two most common PTMs. The biological characteristics of CRC in Chinese patients have some unique clinical features, which can be explained by the genetic mutation profile, correlations among gene mutations and clinical characteristics. These distinctions set the Chinese patient population apart from their Western counterparts.