Aberrantly methylated MGMT, hMLH1 and hMSH2 in tumor and serum DNA of gliomas patients

OBJECTIVE This study is to investigate the prevalence of promoter CpG island methylation of O6-methylguananine-DNA methyltransferase （MGMT）, mismatch repair genes （hMLH1 and hMSH2） in both tumor and serum samples of gliomas. METHODS Methylation-specific PCR （MSP） was employed to detect promoter CpG island methylation of the MGMT, hMLH1 and hMSH2 genes in 39 samples taken from surgery and 32 samples of pretreatment serum all from the patients with gliomas. RESULTS Promoter CpG island methylation of MGMT, hMLH1 and hMSH2 was detected and the results were 46.2%, 10.3% and 20.5%, respectively in tumor DNA of the cases with gliomas, and 40.6%, 9.4% and 18.8%, respectively in serum DNA of the cases. The methylation pattern in primary tumor and serum was found to be concordant in matched tissue and serum samples of 21 patients. In the cases with positive result of methylation for MGMT, hMLH1 and hMSH2 in tumor tissues, the results of detection for those in the paired serum sample were 77.8% （7/9）, 66.7% （2/3） and 75.0 % （3/4）, respectively. False positive results were not obtained in any of the patients who did not exhibit methylation. No association was found between the promoter methylation of MGMT, hMLH1, and hMSH2 genes in primary gliomas and gender, age, localization, grade of malignant or tumor stage. CONCLUSION Promoter CpG island methylation is a frequent event in gliomagenesis. Methylation analysis appears to be a promising predictive factor of the prognosis for the glioma patients treated with alkylating drugs and a noninvasive tumor marker in serum DNA.     

幽门螺杆菌对胃癌hMLH1和hMSH2基因表达的影响

目的探讨幽门螺杆菌(Hp)对胃癌中hMLH1和hMSH2基因表达的影响和Hp的致癌机制.方法利用免疫组织化学S-P法检测胃癌、癌旁和胃炎黏膜中hMLH1、hMSH2 基因的表达情况.结果在全部被检组织中,Hp感染组hMLH1和hMSH2表达阳性率均低于相应的非感染组,其中胃癌组织中hMSH2表达阳性率在Hp感染组(54.7%)和非感染组(82.1%)差异有显著性(P<0.05).结论 Hp感染引起hMLH1和hMSH2基因表达降低,这可能是Hp导致胃癌的分子机制之一.     

Aberrantly Methylated MGMT, hMLH1 and hMSH2 in Tumor and Serum DNA of Gliomas Patients

OBJECTIVE This study is to investigate the prevalence of promoter CpG island methylation of O6-methylguananine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), mismatch repair genes (hMLH1 and hMSH2) in both tumor and serum samples of gliomas.METHODS Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) was employed to detect promoter CpG island methylation of the MGMT, hMLH1 and hMSH2 genes in 39 samples taken from surgery and 32 samples of pretreatment serum all from the patients with gliomas.RESULTS Promoter CpG island methylation of MGMT, hMLH1 and hMSH2 was detected and the results were 46.2%, 10.3% and 20.5%, respectively in tumor DNA of the cases with gliomas,and 40.6%, 9.4% and 18.8%, respectively in serum DNA of the cases. The methylation pattern in primary tumor and serum was found to be concordant in matched tissue and serum samples of 21 patients. In the cases with positive result of methylation for MGMT, hMLH1 and hMSH2 in tumor tissues, the results of detection for those in the paired serum sample were 77.8% (7/9),66.7% (2/3) and 75.0 % (3/4), respectively. False positive results were not obtained in any of the patients who did not exhibit methylation. No association was found between the promoter methylation of MGMT, hMLH1, and hMSH2 genes in primary gliomas and gender, age, localization, grade of malignant or tumor stage.CONCLUSION Promoter CpG island methylation is a frequent event in gliomagenesis. Methylation analysis appears to be a promising predictive factor of the prognosis for the glioma patients treated with alkylating drugs and a noninvasive tumor marker in serum DNA.     

The Role of Expression of Mismatch Repair Proteins hMSH2 and hMLH1 in Gastric Carcinogenesis and its Clinical Significance

OBJECTIVE To investigate the expression of the mismatch repair proteins hMSH2 and hMLH1,and to examine the clinical significance of the intracellular expression site(ICES)in gastric carcinogenesis. METHODS Specimens from 172 cases of gastric cancer,151 tissues from paraneoplastic gastric mucosa and 34 from noncancerous gastric mucosa were collected in Dalain,China.An immunohistochemical method was used to determine the expression of the hMSH2,hMLH1 proteins and their ICES in the gastric mucosas. RESULTS The rate of hMSH2 expression in gastric cancers,paraneoplastic gastric mucosas and noncancerous gastric mucosas were respectively 69.8%,49.7%and 32.4%.The rate was significantly higher in gastric cancer compared to the latter two groups(P=0.000),but there was no obvious difference in the expression between the two latter groups(P=0.067). The hMLH1 protein expression rates were respectively 73.3%,57.6%and 41.2%in the above three groups.The expression was significantly higher in the gastric cancer group compared to the two latter groups(P=0.000),while there was no significant difference between the latter groups(P=0.082). There was no obvious correlation between the hMSH2 and hMLH1 protein expression rates and related factors,such as gender,age and differentiated level of gastric cancer etc.The cell-nuclear expression of the hMSH2 protein was respectively 70.0%,58.7%and 36.4%in the gastric cancer,paraneoplastic gastric mucosa and noncancerous gastric mucosa groups.The cytoplasmic expression rates were 30.0%,41.3%and 63.6%in the three groups. The cell-nuclear expression rate of the hMSH2 protein gradually decreased in the gastric mucosas in the fol owing order:cancer,paraneoplastic and noncancerous but cytoplasmic expression only increased slightly in these groups(r=0.161,P=0.020).There was no significant difference in the ICES of the hMLH1 protein among the three different gastric mucosas(P=0.659). CONCLUSION Simultaneous determination of the expression and ICES of the mismatch repair proteins hMSH2 and hMLH1 in the gastric mucosa may be helpful in detecting early gastric cancer.     

ＤＮＡ错配修复基因ｈＭＬＨ１与肿瘤及化疗耐药相关性的研究进展

ＤＮＡ是生命活动最重要的遗传物质。ＤＮＡ复制产生的误差（碱基错配）是一种重要的损伤。若ＤＮＡ损伤得不到修复,将会导致基因的突变,其中一部分突变有利于物种的进化,而另一部分将导致细胞恶化和死亡。ＤＮＡ错配修复系统（ｍｉｓｍａｔｃｈｒｅｐａｉｒｓｙｓｔｅｍ,ＭＭＲ）是人体细胞中存在的一种能识别并修复ＤＮＡ碱基错配的安全保障系统。到目前为止,已从人体细胞中共分离克隆到９种ＭＭＲ基因。ｈＭＬＨ１基因是一系列ＤＮＡ错配修复基因中最重要的一种,也是ＭＭＲ系统的重要成分,其甲基化可导致ＭＭＲ缺陷。近年来的研究发现,ｈＭＬＨ１的失活与肿瘤发生发展有关,并可能因此导致肿瘤对某些抗肿瘤药物耐药。     

DNA mismatch repair genes hMLH1, hMSH2, and hMSH6 are not inactivated in bronchioloalveolar carcinomas of the lung.

BACKGROUND: Defective DNA mismatch repair (MMR) appears to be rare in nonsmall cell carcinomas of the lung. Defective DNA MMR results from genetic or epigenetic alterations that inactivate the DNA MMR genes hMLH1 or hMSH2, and rarely hMSH6. The loss of normal DNA MMR is thought to promote tumorigenesis by accelerating the accumulation of mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Inactivation of hMLH1, hMSH2, and hMSH6 is observed as a loss of expression of these proteins by immunohistochemistry. Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma is a subtype of adenocarcinoma with distinctive clinical and pathologic features. MATERIALS AND METHODS. An immunohistochemical study was performed on paraffin embedded sections of 33 bronchioloalveolar carcinomas (20 nonmucinous and 13 mucinous) for hmlh1, hmsh2, and hmsh6 proteins. RESULTS All the tumors showed normal expression of hmlh1, hmsh2, and hmsh6. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that defective DNA MMR due to inactivation of hMLH1, hMSH2, or hMSH6 does not play a significant role in the pathogenesis of bronchioloalveolar carcinomas.     

hMLH1 and hMSH2 expression in human hepatocellular carcinoma

The role of microsatellite instability (MSI) in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is incompletely defined. Although high-frequency MSI (MSI-H) is infrequently seen in HCC, some studies have suggested a role for MSI in HCC development. While MSI has been clearly defined for a subset of tumors, in particular colorectal, gastric and endometrial cancers, generally accepted criteria have not been developed for other tumors. Colorectal cancers (CRC) are classified as MSI-H if >30-40% of >5 microsatellite loci analyzed show instability. The MSI-H phenotype is associated with defective DNA mismatch repair (MMR) and is observed in the majority of tumors from patients with hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC) and also in 15% of sporadic CRCs. Inactivating mutations of the hMLH1 or hMSH2 genes lead to defects in MMR in HNPCC. In sporadic CRCs, MMR is usually due to hypermethylation of the hMLH-1 promoter. The role of defective MMR in hepatocellular carcinogenesis is controversial. Immunohistochemistry for hMLH1 and hMSH2 reliably indicates hMLH1 or hMSH2 loss in MSI-H CRC tumors. To investigate the role of defective MMR in HCC carcinogenesis, we performed immunohistochemistry for hMLH1 and hMSH2 on 36 HCCs. BAT26, a microsatellite marker that reliably predicts MSI-H was also examined. All 36 of the tumors stained positively for both hMLH1 and hMSH2, strongly suggesting an absence of either inactivating mutations of hMLH1 and hMSH2 or promoter hypermethylation of hMLH1. None of the tumors showed MSI at the BAT26 locus. These findings suggest that defective MMR does not contribute significantly to hepatocellular carcinogenesis.     

Predictive value of MGMT,hMLH1, hMSH2 and BRCA1 protein expression for pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in basal-like breast cancer patients

Purpose  

To evaluate the importance of biological markers to predict pathologic complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in patients with locally advanced basal-like breast cancers (BLBCs).     

Immunohistochemical analysis of expression and allelotype of mismatch repair genes (hMLH1 and hMSH2) in bladder cancer

Mutation of human homologues of DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes in tumours has been shown to be associated with the phenomenon of microsatellite instability (MSI). Several studies have reported the occurrence of MSI in bladder cancer, but evidence of involvement of MMR genes in the pathogenesis of this cancer is still unclear. We therefore utilized quantitative immunohistochemical (IHC) image analysis and PCR-based allelotype analysis to determine hMLH1 and hMSH2 genes alteration in a cohort of Egyptian bladder cancer samples. IHC analysis of 24 TCC and 12 SCC revealed marked- intra and intertumour heterogeneity in the levels of expression of the two MMR proteins. One TCC lost MLH1 expression and one lost MSH2, (1/24, 4%), and one SCC lost MSH2 (1/12, 8%). A large proportion of analysed tumours revealed a percentage positivity of less than 50% for MLH1 and MSH2 expression (44% and 69%, respectively). Complete loss of heterozygosity in three dinucleotide repeats lying within, or in close proximity to, hMLH1 and hMSH2 was rare (2/57, (4%) for MLH1; and 1/55, (2%) for MSH2), however allelic imbalance was detected in 11/57 (hMLH1) and 10/55 (hMSH2) at any of the informative microsatellite loci. These alterations in structure and expression of DNA MMR genes suggest their possible involvement in the tumorigenesis and/or progression of bladder cancer.     

大肠腺瘤及癌变组织hMLH1和hMSH2表达与细胞凋亡的研究

目的:探讨hMLH1和hMSH2基因在大肠腺瘤及其癌变中的作用,及其表达对细胞凋亡的影响.方法:采用免疫组织化学染色检测63例大肠腺瘤、20例腺瘤癌变和20例大肠癌组织hMLH1和hMSH2表达;同时采用TUNEL法检测其细胞凋亡指数(AI).结果:大肠腺瘤、腺瘤癌变和大肠癌组织错配修复基因hMLH1、hMSH2的表达率逐渐降低,与正常大肠相比相差显著,随腺瘤不典型增生程度增加其阳性率逐渐降低;大肠腺瘤、腺瘤癌变和大肠癌中hMLH1表达缺失者细胞凋亡指数较显著高于其阳性者,且大肠腺瘤不典型增生Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ级hMLH1-与hMLH1+组存在差异显著;而hMSH2-与hMSH2-间AI仅大肠腺瘤组有显著性差异,不典型增生Ⅰ、Ⅱ级组hMSH2-与hMSH2+间AI差异显著,而不典型增生Ⅲ级组hMSH2蛋白的表达阴性与阳性间AI无统计学差异.结论:DNA错配修复基因突变或功能缺失与大肠癌的发生有关,可能系大肠癌发生过程中的早期事件,且可能与大肠肿瘤细胞凋亡活性增加相关.     

大肠腺瘤及癌变组织hMLH1和hMSH2表达与细胞凋亡的研究

目的：探讨hMLH1和hMSH2基因在大肠腺瘤及其癌变中的作用,及其表达对细胞凋亡的影响。方法：采用免疫组织化学染色检测63例大肠腺瘤、20例腺瘤癌变和20例大肠癌组织hMLH1和hMSH2表达;同时采用TUNEL法检测其细胞凋亡指数（AI）。结果：大肠腺瘤、腺瘤癌变和大肠癌组织错配修复基因hMLH1、hMSH2的表达率逐渐降低,与正常大肠相比相差显著,随腺瘤不典型增生程度增加其阳性率逐渐降低;大肠腺瘤、腺瘤癌变和大肠癌中hMLH1表达缺失者细胞凋亡指数较显著高于其阳性者,且大肠腺瘤不典型增生Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ级hMLH1-与hMLH1＋组存在差异显著;而hMSH2-与hMSH2-间AI仅大肠腺瘤组有显著性差异,不典型增生Ⅰ、Ⅱ级组hMSH2-与hMSH2＋间AI差异显著,而不典型增生Ⅲ级组hMSH2蛋白的表达阴性与阳性间AI无统计学差异。结论：DNA错配修复基因突变或功能缺失与大肠癌的发生有关,可能系大肠癌发生过程中的早期事件,且可能与大肠肿瘤细胞凋亡活性增加相关。     

Roles of mismatch repair proteins hMSH2 and hMLH1 in the development of sporadic breast cancer

Defects in mismatch repair (MMR) genes, particularly the hMSH2 and hMLH1 genes, are associated with a variety of cancers including sporadic breast cancer. However, whether or not patient clinical background, e.g. age, progesterone receptor (PR), estrogen receptor (ER), tumor progression and stage, chemotherapy history, and menopausal status, influences MMR status is not understood. To address these issues, 83 archival breast cancer specimens were examined for expression of hMSH2 and hMLH1 by immunohistochemistry and the relationship between MMR protein expression and patient clinical background was analyzed. We detected lack of or reduced expression of hMSH2 and hMLH1 in 23 (27.7%) and 26 cases (31.3%), respectively, and hypermethylation of the hMLH1 promoter accounted for the majority of the cases with reduced expression of hMLH1. Statistical analysis revealed that (i) reduced expression of hMLH1 and hMSH2 seemed to confer advantage for the progression of breast tumors to more advanced stages; (ii) attenuated expression of hMLH1 correlated with history of chemotherapy, but not with age, menopause, or the status of PR and ER; (iii) hypermethylation of the hMLH1 promoter was linked with clinical stage and lymphatic metastasis. These analyses indicate that defective expression of MMR genes is closely associated with the development of sporadic breast cancer.     

Combined deficiency of hMLH1, hMSH2, hMSH3 and hMSH6 is an independent prognostic factor in colorectal cancer

We examined biological and clinicopathological significance of individual and combined hMLH1, hMSH2, hMSH3 and hMSH6 expression with immunohistochemistry in 301 unselected colorectal cancers. Weak hMLH1 expression was correlated to microsatellite instability (P=0.04), negative p53 expression (P=0.005) and mucinous carcinomas (P=0.02). Weak hMSH2 expression was related to negative ras (P<0.001) and p53 expression (P=0.005), and better survival (P=0.03). hMSH2, hMSH3 and hMSH6, as well as hMLH1, hMSH2, hMSH3 and hMSH6, were combined into a 'functional' and a 'less-functional' group, respectively. Both 'less-functional' groups were/tended to be associated with microsatellite instability, negative ras and p53 expression, and better survival. In summary, hMLH1 and hMSH2 were more important when investigated individually, and the combined groups were more related to the mutator pathway, suggesting that combined deficiencies of the proteins are more efficiently involved in the mutator pathway. Our result from weak versus strong staining may suggest that the intensity of staining should be considered in future studies on mismatch repair proteins.     

hMLH1 and hMSH2 mutations in families with familial clustering of gastric cancer and hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer

The pattern of hMLHI and hMSH2 mutations was assessed to identify the genetic correlation between hereditary gastric and colorectal cancers. Four disease groups and their healthy family members were assembled according to the presentation of gastric cancer: FG, familial clustering of gastric cancer (n = 32); CG, family with one or more colorectal and gastric cancers in first-degree relatives (n = 22); HS, seven HNPCC families corresponding to the Amsterdam criteria (AMS+) and 12 suspected HNPCC families which did not satisfy one of the criteria (AMS-), but no gastric cancer among first- and second-degree relatives (n = 19); and SG, sporadic gastric cancer (n = 33). In the CG group, three were included in AMS + and six in AMS- criteria. Peripheral blood was obtained from them to detect hMLHI and hMLH2 mutations using PCR-SSCP analysis and direct sequencing. The incidence of mutations was 9.4% in the FG group, 54.5% in the CG group, 31.6% in the HS group, and none in the SG group. The incidence, type, and number of the mutation were not different between the CG and HS groups. Thirty-four different mutations included 19 in hMLH1 and 15 in hMSH2. Gastric cancer was the most common extracolonic malignancy in HNPCC and suspected HNPCC families (9/28, 32.1%). The hMLH1 or hMSH2 mutation occurred in seven of 10 families with AMS+, whereas it occurred in four of 18 with AMS- (70% vs. 22.2%, P = .013). Five mutations in the hMLH1 and six mutations in the hMSH2 were exclusively found in families with gastric cancer. All three mutations in the FG group were in hMLHI and there was no mutation in their healthy family members. This study demonstrates that some familial clustering type of gastric cancer appears to be associated with hMLHI mutations thereby indicating a difference from the hereditary gastric cancer studies previously reported. In addition, hMLHI and hMSH2 mutations may impact the gastric cancer carcinogenesis in HNPCC or suspected HNPCC.     

Immune responses to DNA mismatch repair enzymes hMSH2 and hPMS1 in patients with pancreatic cancer, dermatomyositis and polymyositis

To identify tumor antigens useful for diagnosis and immunotherapy of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, we applied a SEREX approach with a cDNA library made from 5 pancreatic cancer cell lines and sera obtained from 8 patients with pancreatic cancer, and isolated total 32 genes, including 14 previously characterized genes and 18 genes with unknown functions. Among these isolated antigens, serum IgG antibodies for 2 isolated DNA mismatch repair enzymes, Homo sapiens mutS homolog 2 (hMSH2) and Homo sapiens postmeiotic segregation increased 1 (hPMS1), were detected in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and dermatomyositis (DM), and polymyositis (PM), but not in sera from healthy individuals. Immunohistochemical study demonstrated that hMSH2 and hPMS1 were over-expressed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma compared to normal pancreatic ducts. These results suggested that hMSH2 and hPMS1 may be useful as CD4+ helper T cell antigens for immunotherapy of pancreatic cancer patients and that serum IgG antibodies may be useful for diagnosis of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and DM/PM.     

胃癌个体化免疫治疗新策略研究

目的 探讨程序性死亡配体 1（PD L1）、程序性死亡受体 1（PD 1）、错配修复基因hMSH2、hMLH1在胃癌表达及其与临床病理特征的关系。 方法 应用免疫组化法检测76例胃癌组织中PD L1、PD 1和hMSH2、hMLH1蛋白表达。 结果 胃癌组织中,PD L1表达水平与TNM分期、分化程度、淋巴结转移情况及脉管癌栓相关（均P＜005）;PD 1表达与各临床病例特征均无相关（P＞005）。hMSH2、hMLH1表达与TNM分期相关（P＜005）。PD L1与hMSH2、hMLH1蛋白表达相关（均P＜005）,PD 1与hMSH2、hMLH1蛋白表达均无相关,PD L1表达与PD 1无相关（P＞005）。 结论 依据错配修复缺陷基因及PD L1表达水平选择性阻断PD L1／PD 1免疫检查点有望成为胃癌个体化免疫治疗的新策略。     

Allelic imbalance at the DNA mismatch repair loci,hMSH2, hMLH1, hPMS1, hPMS2 and hMSH3, in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

BACKGROUND: Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is one of the 10 most frequently occurring cancers in the world. Defective mismatch repair, as exhibited by the phenomenon of microsatellite instability, has been observed in SCCHN although no reports of mismatch repair gene mutations or altered protein expression have been published. In a variety of microsatellite instability (MSI) positive cancers where mutations in the mismatch repair (MMR) genes were not observed, allelic imbalance at the loci of the MMR genes was prevalent. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether allelic imbalance at the MMR genetic loci contributes to the development of SCCHN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 35 matched normal/tumour SCCHN pairs were studied using 29 microsatellite markers located within and adjacent to six known DNA mismatch repair genes. In addition, mutational analysis and protein expression of hMSH2 and hMLH1 were investigated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that 36 and 17% of the analysed SCCHN specimens exhibited allele imbalance at the hMLH1 and hMSH3 genetic loci, respectively. Allelic instability at these two loci was found to be correlated with the MSI status of the SCCHN tumours. Allelic instability was found to be uncommon at the other MMR gene loci analysed. One mutation was found in hMSH2 and none in hMLH1 in this series of tumours. 23 of 24 (96%) of the examined SCCHN tumours showed reduced expression of either hMSH2 or hMCH1 genes. Allelic instability in the MMR genes, hMLH1 and hMSH3, is proposed to be involved in the aetiology of SCCHN tumours.