ObjectiveTo explore the influence of patients who accepted chemotherapy of Folfox4 scheme before operation for the expression of miR-196 and HoxB8 in colorectal cancer, and illustrating the differences between the miR-196 and HoxB8 expressions in colorectal cancer tissues and sensitivity to chemotherapy with Folfox4 scheme and its corre-lation and significance. MethodsFluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry were used to determine the expressions of miR-196 and HoxB8 in 50 specimens of neoadjuvant chemotherapy group (chemotherapy sensitive group and chemotherapy insensitive group) and 30 specimens which received the surgery directly (no-chemo-therapy group), and analyzing the relationship and discrepancy between miR-196 and HoxB8 in these groups. ResultsThe RT-PCR examination showed that the relative expression levels of miR-196 and HoxB8 in the neoadjuvant chemo-therapy group were lower than the no-chemotherapy group (0.646 8±0.683 9 vs.1.000 0±0.000 0, P < 0.01;0.607 6±0.418 9 vs.1.000 0±0.000 0, P < 0.01).Expression of miR-196 in the chemotherapy sensitive group was higher than the chemotherapy insensitive group (0.948 9±0.691 0 vs.0.344 7±0.536 1, P < 0.01), however, the expression of HoxB8 mRNA in the chemotherapy sensitive group was lower than the chemotherapy insensitive group (0.489 9±0.371 5 vs.0.725 3±0.437 5, P < 0.05).Expression positive rate of HoxB8 protein in chemotherapy sensitive group was lower than the chemotherapy insensitive group (Z=-2.396, P=0.017).The expressions of miR-196 and HoxB8 in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group had negative relationship (r=-0.595, P < 0.01), which was also exist in the no-chemo-therapy group (r=-0.435, P < 0.01). ConclusionsThe neoadjuvant chemotherapy with Folfox4 scheme before oper-ation can reduce the expression levels of miR-196 and HoxB8 in colorectal cancer tisssues.The different expression levels of miR-196 and HoxB8 could influence the sensitivity of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with Folfox4 scheme in colorectal cancer.The high level expression of miR-196 could restrain the expression of HoxB8, and then increase the sensitivity of chemotherapy with Folfox4 scheme in colorectal cancer.