Xiao Wen-Hua, Liu Wei-Wen
Department of Oncology, 304th Hospital of PLA, Beijing 100037, China.
World J Gastroenterol. 2004 Feb 1;10(3):376-80. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i3.376.
To analyze the genetic and epigenetic alterations of RUNX3 gene, a potential putative tumor suppressor gene, in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
PCR-based loss of heterozygosity (LOH) detection, analysis of mutation with PCR-single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing, and methylation study with methylation specific PCR (MSP) were performed on RUNX3 gene in a series of 62 HCCs along with their matched normal tissues.
Mutation of RUNX3 gene was not found, but one single nucleotide polymorphism with T to A transversion at the second nucleotide of the 18th codon was found. Nine of 26 informative cases (34.6%) showed allelic loss on the polymorphic site and 30 cases (48.4%) revealed hypermethylation of RUNX3 gene in promoter CpG islands. Furthermore, of the 9 cases with LOH, 8 (88.9%) also had hypermethylation.
Our findings indicate that inactivation of RUNX3 gene through allelic loss and promoter hypermethylation might be one of the major mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinogenesis.
分析潜在的假定肿瘤抑制基因RUNX3在肝细胞癌(HCC)中的遗传和表观遗传改变。
对62例HCC及其配对的正常组织中的RUNX3基因进行基于聚合酶链反应(PCR)的杂合性缺失(LOH)检测、采用PCR-单链构象多态性(SSCP)和测序分析突变,以及采用甲基化特异性PCR(MSP)进行甲基化研究。
未发现RUNX3基因突变,但在第18密码子的第二个核苷酸处发现了一个由T到A颠换的单核苷酸多态性。26例信息性病例中有9例(34.6%)在多态性位点显示等位基因缺失,30例(48.4%)显示RUNX3基因启动子CpG岛存在高甲基化。此外,在9例存在LOH的病例中,有8例(88.9%)也存在高甲基化。
我们的研究结果表明,通过等位基因缺失和启动子高甲基化使RUNX3基因失活可能是肝细胞癌发生的主要机制之一。