An update on colorectal cancer biomarkers: exploring the roles of c-Jun and IL-8.

[OBJECTIVE] Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major contributor to global cancer mortality. Reliable biomarkers like c-Jun and Interleukin-8 (IL-8) may improve prognosis and therapy. Considering the possible ethnic differences in CRC biomarkers, this study is the first to examine a distinct Southeast Asian cohort (Indonesia).

[METHODS] A retrospective study analyzed 98 CRC patients using immunohistochemistry to evaluate c-Jun and IL-8 expression. Paraffin-embedded tissues were assessed for correlations with clinicopathological features. Statistical analyses were performed with  < 0.05 considered significant.

[RESULTS] c-Jun expression was significantly higher in mucinous or serrated histology (median 1.80, range 0.90-2.30) compared to adenocarcinoma, NOS (median 1.60, range 0.70-2.50) ( = 0.04). Meanwhile, IL-8 expression showed no significant differences across all clinicopathological factors. Neither biomarkers showed significant association with most clinicopathological factors, including age, sex, tumor size, location, stage, grade, invasion, or metastasis.

[CONCLUSIONS] c-Jun and IL-8 expression showed limited prognostic relevance for most clinicopathological features of CRC. However, elevated c-Jun expression may indicate its particular involvement in distinct CRC subtype pathogenesis.