Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent cancer and the second most common cause of cancer death; however, its early detection can improve the survival. Colonic polyps are considered one of the CRC's major risk factors. Throughout many biological processes and malignancies, the non-coding RNAs have essential functions. Certain long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), including H19, were supposed to be CRC possible biomarkers. Also, H19 has been reported to play a role in regulating the activity of β-catenin, a protein that regulates cell-to-cell adhesion, as well as gene transcription. The current work aimed to investigate the potential significance of LncRNA H19 relative serum expression level by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) and β-catenin by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as noninvasive biomarkers to discriminate between colorectal cancer and colonic polyps. The statistical analysis of the studied factors revealed that the serum expression of H19 and β-catenin in cancer cases were substantially greater than colonic polyp cases and normal control. Conclusion The relative expressions of H19 and beta-catenin in the serum can significantly discriminate patients with CRC from those with polyp and normal controls, which could help when screening for CRC.

Of the approximately 34 identified Biomphalaria species, Biomphalaria alexandrina represents the intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni in Egypt. Using parasitological and SOD1 enzyme assay, this study aimed to elucidate the impact of the age of B. alexandrina snails on their genetic variability and internal defence against S. mansoni infection. Susceptible and resistant snails were reared individually for self-reproduction; four subgroups of their progeny were used in experiment. The young susceptible subgroup showed the highest infection rate, the shortest pre-patent period, the highest total cercarial production, the highest mortality rate and the lowest SOD1 activity. Among the young and adult susceptible subgroups, 8% and 26% were found to be resistant, indicating the inheritance of resistance alleles from parents. The adult resistant subgroup, however, contained only resistant snails and showed the highest enzyme activity. The complex interaction between snail age, genetic background and internal defence resulted in great variability in compatibility patterns, with the highest significant difference between young susceptible and adult resistant snails. The results demonstrate that resistance alleles function to a greater degree in adults, with higher SOD1 activity and provide potential implications for Biomphalaria control. The identification of the most susceptible snail age enables determination of the best timing for applying molluscicides. Moreover, adult resistant snails could be beneficial in biological snail control.