ABCB1 Promoter Methylation: A Potential Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in the Pathogenesis of Ulcerative Colitis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 MSc Student, Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

2 Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

Abstract

The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the existing evidence on the role of ABCB1 promoter methylation in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) and to evaluate its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target. A systematic search was conducted across PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for articles published up to March 2024. Original human, animal, and cellular studies examining the association between ABCB1 methylation and UC were selected based on predetermined criteria, and their quality was assessed using standard tools. A total of 38 studies met the inclusion criteria. The evidence consistently indicated that ABCB1 promoter methylation levels in the colonic tissue of UC patients were signi cantly higher than in healthy individuals. A signi cantinverse correlation between increased methylation levels and decreased expression of ABCB1 mRNA and Pglycoprotein was reported in most studies. Furthermore, ABCB1 hypermethylation was associated with increased disease severity, a higher risk of relapse, and a poorer response to standard treatments. Laboratory studies demonstrated that pharmacological interventions and natural compounds could reverse this epigenetic alteration. Therefore, it can be concluded that ABCB1 promoter hypermethylation is an important epigenetic event in UC pathogenesis, contributing to intestinal barrier dysfunction and in ammation by silencing a key protective gene. This marker has high potential for application in the diagnosis, prognosis, and personalized treatment of UC.

Keywords


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