Increased angiopoietin-like protein 8 expression in colorectal carcinoma patients with liver metastasis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in men and the second most common in women, with a 5-year survival rate. The disease burden of CRC can be exacerbated by a sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical exercise, smoking, and obesity. Angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPTL8), a liver hormone, plays a crucial role in lipid and glucose metabolism and is also implicated in the development of certain cancers. However, the basic profile and activity of this hormone in CRC with liver metastasis remains unknown. This study aims to establish the baseline expression of ANGPTL8 in tumors of CRC patients with and without liver metastasis. After histopathological screening and computed tomography scans, 41 patients were identified and included in this study, consisting of 20 CRC patients without liver metastasis and 21 with liver metastasis. Tumor samples from each group were compared to their respective adjacent normal tissues. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were employed to assess the ANGPTL8 expression at both mRNA and protein levels. The results show that ANGPTL8 expression is higher in tumors of CRC patients with liver metastasis compared to those without liver metastasis. ANGPTL8 expression is significantly correlated with body mass index (BMI) (Pearson’s correlation coefficient = −0.367, p≤0.05) and could serve as a significant predictor of BMI (p≤0.05). These findings suggest that ANGPTL8 may enhance tumor development in CRC patients and is associated with body weight changes, contributing to weight loss symptoms during metastasis.