---

Background & Objective: Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer of GI and 2nd most common cause of cancer death in the world. The purpose of this study was to determine epidemiologic aspect and tumor characteristics of colorectal cancer for patients and compare them in young (<50 yr) and older (>50 yr) patients. Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional study during 3 yr the samples of malignant colorectal cancer presented in Gorgan endoscopy and pathologic centers were collected. Data evaluated by statistically method. Results: There were 101 cases of malignant colorectal cancer. 61 cases were male and 40 cases were female. The mean age was 56±13.65 yr. 13.9% of patients were <40 yr. The type of tumor in 94% was adenocarcinoma, 2.9% lymphoma and 2.9% undifferentiated carcinoma. The site of involvement in 30 cases were rectum and in 71 cases were colon. The most common symptom was abdominal pain, constipation and rectal bleeding. The time interval between onset of symptom to diagnosis of disease in 58 cases was >6 mth. Family history of cancer in 36 cases was positive. Right colon cancer in young patient was significantly more than older (P<0.05). Positive family history of cancer in right colon cancer was significantly more other than. Positive family history of cancer in young patient was more than other (P<0.05). Conclusion: According to this study, colorectal cancer was high. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to the symptom of young patient and providing a screening program in patients over 50 years old and young patients with positive family history.

---

Background and Objective: Colorectal cancer is the third common malignancy in the world. Personal habits including life style and nutrition have been proposed as risk factors of colorectal cancer. We conducted this study to assess the nutritional characteristics in colorectal cancer patients in Golestan province of Iran.

Materials and Methods: This case-control study was done on 47 colorectal cancer cases, diagnosed during 2004-05 and 47 healthy controls. A questionnaire containing socio-demographic and nutritional characteristics (FFQ) was filled for each of the participants. Chi square test was used to assess the relationship between variables.

Results: In each of the two groups, 40.4% were females and 59.6% were males. The mean±SD age of age in cases and controls were 52.4±13.4 and 52.1±13.1 years, respectively. Total energy expenditure of higher than 1837.5 Kcal/ day was significantly related to colorectal cancer (OR=3.8 95% CI: 1.2-11.3). Colorectal cancer risk was higher in individual with frying cooking method (OR=3 95% CI: 0. 8-11.1). The risk of colorectal cancer was 6.5 times higher in individuals with fat consumption of higher than 118.5 grams/day (95% CI: 1.5-28.8). No significant relationship was seen between vegetables consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer.

Conclusion: This study showed that high total energy expenditure, high fat consumption and using frying method for cooking are risk factors of colorectal cancer in Golestan prevince in Nothern of Iran.

---

Background and Objective: Colorectal cancer can significantly cause physical, psychological and social problems. This study was done to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with colorectal cancer in Babol located in north of Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional, analytical study was done on 120 (75 males, 45 females) patients with colorectal cancer which registered in the Babol cancer registry in north of Iran during 2008-12. A questionnaire containing demographic information, aspects of the disease and HADS questionnaire was completed by interviewing to assess anxiety and depression for each patient. Results: The prevalence rate of depression and anxiety in patients was 23.4% and 30.8%, respectively. Gender, residency of rural area, and having comorbidities are related to depression among which location was identified as an independent predictor. Urban residency had 79% less risk of depression than rural residents (95% CI=0.06-0.67, OR=0.21, P<0.009). Gender, resident of rural areas, unemployed, having comorbidities, low income and lack of education were associated with anxiety, among which only education was identified as an independent predictor (95% CI=1.32-13.81, OR=4.27, P<0.015). Conclusion: The prevalence of anxiety and depression in colorectal cancer patients was high in this area. Therefore, interventions are recommended to increase awareness and greater attention to rural women and controlling comorbidities.

---

Background and Objective: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers and considered to be leading causes of cancer death in the world. One of the problems with this type of cancer is its inability to be detected in early stage. The aim of present study was to evaluate the correlation between the serum levels of Fucosyltransferase-4 and galactin-3 in patients with early-stage of colorectal cancer.
Methods: This case-control study was done on 40 patients with early stages of colorectal cancer and 40 healthy subjects. ELISA method was used to measure the serum levels of Fucosyltransferase-4 and galactin-3. To examine the correlation between the variables, correlation test and Pearson correlation coefficient index were used.
Results: Fucosyltransferase-4 and galactin-3 levels were higher in patients with early-stage of colorectal cancer compared to healthy subjects. This difference was not significant. In patients with colorectal cancer, there was a significant relationship between the level of Fucosyltransferase-4 and galactin-3 (r=0.71, P=0.01).
Conclusion: Simultaneous measurement of Fucosyltransferase-4 and galactin-3 is useful in identifying early-stage of colorectal cancer as a non-invasive laboratory method.

---

Background and Objective: Micro-ribonucleic acids (microRNAs) have introduced a new field in the molecular diagnosis of cancer. However, the role of circulating microRNAs in the plasma/serum of colorectal cancer patients is still unclear. This study was conducted to determine the expression of let-7d microRNA in patients with colorectal cancer.
Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 40 patients with colorectal cancer and 40 healthy people. In this study, 7 mL blood samples were collected from patients with colorectal cancer (both before and after tumor resection) and healthy individuals (only once). The serum samples were isolated and stored at - 80°C until molecular analysis. MicroRNAs were extracted from serum samples, and cDNA was synthesized. Let-7d expression was examined using the RT-qPCR method. Data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism v. 9 software. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, sensitivity, and specificity were also calculated for the let-7d microRNA data to introduce a diagnostic biomarker between the preoperative patient group and the control group.
Results: In the preoperative samples of the patients, the expression of let-7d microRNA was significantly lower than that of the control group (P˂0.05). The expression of let-7d microRNA significantly increased after tumor resection compared to before. The ROC analysis for let-7d microRNA in the preoperative patient group with the control group showed that the sensitivity was 33.3%, specificity was 92.3%, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.622.
Conclusion: Let-7d microRNA could potentially serve as a new noninvasive diagnostic biomarker for the early detection of colorectal cancer. However, further studies are required on this subject.

---

Background and Objective: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and the second most common in women. The use of parasites or parasite antigens is one of the newest therapeutic approaches for cancer, although it has not yet been used or approved in human trials. This study aimed to determine the cytotoxic effects of purified carbohydrates from the hyaline layer, fluid, and protoscolices of hydatid cysts on the human colorectal cancer cell line (LS174T).
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on two sheep and two cow livers infected with hydatid cysts, and the human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (LS174T) purchased from the Pasteur Institute of Iran at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran during 2022. Cyst fluid, protoscolices, and the hyaline layer were isolated from the hydatid cyst-infected livers, and glycoproteins and glycolipids from different parts of the cyst were extracted using the chloroform-methanol method. Carbohydrates were purified using the beta-elimination method and their presence was confirmed using the phenol-sulfuric acid method. The cytotoxicity of purified carbohydrates on the LS174T cell line was evaluated using the methyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay for 24 hours.
Results: Concentrations of 0.5 and 0.25 of purified carbohydrates from glycoproteins and glycolipids of hydatid cysts significantly inhibited the growth of LS174T cells (P<0.05). Initial cytotoxicity evaluation showed that purified carbohydrates from glycoproteins of sheep cyst fluid (38.60±1.33%), glycoproteins of cow cyst hyaline layer (36.61±1.76%), glycolipids of cow cyst hyaline layer (38.94±2.99%), glycoproteins of cow cyst protoscolices (40.27±3.66%), and glycolipids of sheep cyst protoscolices (37.94±1.99%) had significantly more pronounced inhibitory effects (P<0.05). Subsequent screening with the MTT assay revealed that purified carbohydrates from glycoproteins isolated from sheep hydatid cyst fluid (52.35±10.24%), glycolipids isolated from cow hydatid cyst hyaline layer (53.40±7.88%), and glycolipids isolated from sheep hydatid cyst protoscolices (53.05±5.06%) had significantly more pronounced inhibitory effects on the growth of LS174T cancer cells (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Carbohydrates isolated from glycoproteins and glycolipids of the hyaline layer, fluid, and protoscolices of hydatid cysts have significant anticancer effects on the LS174T colorectal cancer cell line.