Abstract
BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early detection is crucial for improving survival rates. Liquid biopsies, specifically analyzing circulating tumor-educated platelets (TEPs), have emerged as a promising tool for early CRC detection and monitoring treatment efficacy. This study investigated the expression levels of two specific circRNAs, hsa_circ_0004771 and hsa_circ_0019120, in the platelets of patients with CRC, advanced polyps, and healthy controls. METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from 25 individuals with CRC, 25 individuals with advanced polyps, and 25 healthy controls. Platelet-derived total RNA was extracted, and expression analysis was conducted using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Differential expression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed using GraphPad Prism. RESULTS: Both circRNAs were found to be upregulated in platelets from individuals with advanced polyps and CRC compared to healthy individuals. However, the upregulation was statistically significant only for hsa_circ_0004771 in CRC patients (p-value = 0.0036) and for hsa_circ_0019120 in both advanced polyp (p-value = 0.0175) and CRC patients (p-value = 0.0356). The combined analysis of both circRNAs achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.8348 (95% CI: 0.7131 to 0.9565) with a sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 80% (p-value = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that hsa_circ_0004771 and hsa_circ_0019120 dysregulated in both CRC and polyps and have potential as a novel diagnostic biomarker of CRC.