K-ras gene mutation and AgNOR score in colorectal carcinoma Iraqi patients

Background: In Iraq the incidence of colonic cancer is 4.5% . The conversion of a normal cell to a cancer cell is a stepwise process that typically involves the activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (mutations). So the aim of the present study was to evaluate K-RAS mutation and the AgNOR score pattern and their relations to clinicopathoological aspects of colorectal carcinoma. The study included fifty tissue blocks embedded in paraffin wax (16 female and 34 males)which were obtained from patient group suffering from colorectal cancer (CRC) and thirty five Tissue blocks embedded in paraffin wax from normal colon (ulcerative colitis) which served as control group. AgNOR score was significantly higher in patients group than in control group (P<0.001). There was a highly significant positive correlation between grade of tumor and AgNOR score (r =883, P<0.001), but there was no statistical association with age, gender, location of tumor and stage of disease. K-RAS mutation was not detected in all patients. Conclusions: AgNOR is significantly correlated with grade of colorectal carcinoma. K-RAS mutation was not detected in colorectal carcinoma