ObjectiveThis paper attempts to investigate the expression of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 8 (TRPM8) during the carcinogenesis process of ulcerative colitis (UC), and to explore its relationship with disease activity, lesion range and prognosis of patients.MethodsA total of 60 UC patients, 60 ulcerative colitis with intraepithelial neoplasia (IN) patients, and 60 colon cancer patients who were hospitalized at the First Hospital of Qinhuangdao from June 2021 to June 2024 were divided into the UC group, the UC-IN group, and the colon cancer group, respectively. Significant colonic mucosal tissue samples and tumor tissue specimens were collected from the UC and UC-IN groups. Another 30 healthy individuals who underwent physical examination at the same hospital, whose normal colon mucosal tissue were obtained (20 cm from the anus) through colonoscopy were selected as the control group. Real time fluorescence quantitative PCR and immunohistochemical staining were used to detect the expression levels of TRPM8 mRNA and protein in colon tissue, and the relationship between TRPM8 and disease activity and lesion range in UC patients was analyzed. After a 6-month follow-up of UC patients after discharge, ROC curve analysis was used to evaluate the predictive value of TRPM8 for poor prognosis in UC patients.ResultsCompared with the control group, the positive expression rates of TRPM8 mRNA and protein are significantly increased in the UC group, UC-IN group, and colon cancer group, with statistically significant differences among the three groups (P<0.05). The positive expression rates of TRPM8 mRNA and protein in the UC-HGIN group are significantly higher than those in the UC-LGIN group (P<0.05). Additionally, the positive expression rates of TRPM8 mRNA and protein in the poorly differentiated cancer group are significantly higher than those in the moderately and well-differentiated cancer groups (P<0.05). In UC patients, the relative expression level and positive protein expression rate of TRPM8 mRNA in the severe active phase group are significantly higher than those in the moderate active, mild active, and clinical remission groups (P<0.05). The relative expression in the moderate activity group is also significantly higher than in the mild activity and clinical remission groups (P<0.05), and the mild active phase group shows significantly higher expression than the clinical remission phase group (P<0.05). There is no statistically significant difference in TRPM8 mRNA expression level or protein positivity across UC patients with different lesion extents (P>0.05). Follow-up results show that the relative expression level and protein positive rate of TRPM8 mRNA in the poor prognosis group are significantly higher than those in the good prognosis group (P<0.05). ROC curve analysis shows that the area under the curve (AUC) for TRPM8 protein, TRPM8 mRNA, and their combined detection in predicting poor prognosis in UC patients are 0.734, 0.762, and 0.823, respectively.ConclusionsTRPM8 expression gradually increases during UC-associated carcinogenesis and is significantly correlated with the pathological differentiation, disease activity, and poor prognosis. It has the potential as an early diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for UC related colon cancer.