Association of TLR9 Gene Expression with Prior COVID-19 Infection in the Colorectal Cancer Tissues of Iraqi Patients
TLR 9 gene expression with Colorectal Cancer
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29409/z10vvk33Keywords:
Colorectal cancer, TLR9, Gene expression, COVID-19, Tissue biomarkerAbstract
Background: It has recently been reported that colorectal cancer is among the most common types of cancer in Iraq. This cancer arises from genetic and hereditary changes in the epithelial cells of the colon or rectum and often progresses from benign adenomatous polyps to invasive cancer.
Methods: A total of 30 Iraqi patients of both genders (11 males and 19 females) with colorectal cancer (CRC) and 15 healthy people (controls) were included in the study. Patients attended the Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Teaching Hospital, Medical City, Baghdad, between January 2025 and November 2025. Participants underwent diagnosis.
Results: Toll-like receptor (TLR9) gene expression levels were studied in all patient groups. Compared with that in the control group, TLR9 gene expression was significantly greater in colon cancer patients than in rectal cancer patients and control subjects (6.88 ± 0.77, 4.79 ± 0.90, and 1.04 ± 0.19, respectively).
With respect to COVID-19, TLR9 gene expression was significantly higher in the colon cancer group than in the rectum and control groups, which were not infected with COVID-19. The values were 10.21±0.88, 6.15±3.24, and 1.08±0.23, respectively, with P < 0.001. There was also a significant difference between the two groups of COVID-19-infected and noninfected patients with colon cancer (P < 0.001).
In tumor tissue, the size was less than 1 mm, and high TLR gene expression occurred in the patient group compared with that in the control group (P < 0.001). Compared with rectal cancer patients and controls, colon cancer patients were significantly more prevalent (7.75±1.11, 2.42±0.36, and 1.21±0.32, respectively), according to the group whose tumor tissue size was above 1 mm (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: These findings indicate that TLR9 expression may represent a potential tissue biomarker in colorectal cancer. However, larger studies are needed to validate these findings.
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