Peng Hong, Zhao Tong, Yao Kai-tai
Department of Otolaryngology, Nanfang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Di Yi Jun Yi Da Xue Xue Bao. 2003 Jul;23(7):673-6.
To investigate the role of RASSF1A gene in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
RASSF1A gene expression was examined by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptional-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 32 specimens of poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma from patients with primary NPC, 16 specimens of histologically normal nasopharyngeal epithelia, and 4 NPC cell lines (CNE1, CNE2, HNE1, HNE2). The loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosome 3p21.3 was detected using D3S4604 microsatellite marker in NPC.
Reduction in the expression level of RASSF1A was significantly lower in NPC than in normal nasopharyngeal epithelium(P=0.001). Allelic delection (LOH) on 3p21.3 was assessed in 43.75% of the NPC specimens. However, there was no evidence to demonstrate the relationship between RASSF1A expression and the patient's age, gender, and some clinical features such as lymph node metastasis, TNM stage and serum titer of EBV (VCA/IgA) antibody (P>0.05). The expression of RASSF1A was reduced in NPC specimens from NPC patients with distant metastasis compared with that of patients without distant metastasis (P=0.014).
Down-regulated RASSF1A gene expression might be an event in the later stages of the tumorigenesis of NPC, and the 3p21 region may contain tumor suppressor genes that are could be deeply involved in the tumorigenesis of NPC.
探讨RASSF1A基因在鼻咽癌（NPC）发病机制中的作用。
采用半定量逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）检测32例原发性NPC患者低分化鳞状细胞癌标本、16例组织学正常的鼻咽上皮标本及4种NPC细胞系（CNE1、CNE2、HNE1、HNE2）中RASSF1A基因的表达。利用D3S4604微卫星标记检测NPC中3p21.3染色体上的杂合性缺失（LOH）。
NPC中RASSF1A表达水平的降低显著低于正常鼻咽上皮（P = 0.001）。43.75%的NPC标本检测到3p21.3上的等位基因缺失（LOH）。然而，没有证据表明RASSF1A表达与患者年龄、性别以及一些临床特征如淋巴结转移、TNM分期和EBV（VCA/IgA）抗体血清滴度之间存在关联（P>0.05）。与无远处转移的NPC患者相比，有远处转移的NPC患者标本中RASSF1A的表达降低（P = 0.014）。
RASSF1A基因表达下调可能是NPC肿瘤发生后期的一个事件，3p21区域可能包含在NPC肿瘤发生中起重要作用的抑癌基因。
