Novel DNA methylation biomarkers for early diagnosis of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC).

Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is the most common malignancy type among males across the world. However, analysis of molecular markers could be useful in detecting the early-stage OTSCC, which would allow optimal clinical treatments and prolong the survival rate of patients consequently. The study has the objective of detecting the role of salivary biomarkers based on gene promoter hypermethylation. Sample data from 45 OTSCC and normal groups were analyzed to exhibit the methylation levels of salivary biomarkers (TRH, FHIT, MGMT, p16, and RASSF1A). The specificity and sensitivity analysis of methylation biomarkers was conducted in addition to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for both early-stage and advanced OTSCC stages. Quantitative data findings showed the perfect sensitivity and specificity for TRH, MGMT, p16, and RASSF1A with 100%, and > 90%, respectively. In addition, the results indicated an inefficient area under curves (> 0.7) for these biomarkers to detect the OTSCC. There were no significant differences observed between TRH and FHIT and p16 and MGMT based on the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The methylation statuses of genes TRH, RASSF1A, p16, and MGMT might become utilized as predictive biomarkers for clinical application in early diagnosis of OTSCC and noninvasive oral cancer screening.

Acetylcholine promotes chronic stress-induced lung adenocarcinoma progression via α5-nAChR/FHIT pathway.

Chronic stress significantly elevates the expression levels of various neurotransmitters in the tumour microenvironment, thereby promoting the cell growth and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, the role of chronic stress in the progression of LUAD remains unclear. In this study, we found that chronic restraint stress increases the levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), and the α5-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α5-nAChR) and decreased fragile histidine triad (FHIT) expression in vivo. Crucially, the increased ACh levels promoted LUAD cell migration and invasion via modulation of the α5-nAChR/DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1)/FHIT axis. In a chronic unpredictable stress (CUMS) mouse model, chronic stress promotes tumour development, accompanied by changes in α5-nAChR, DNMT1, FHIT, and vimentin. Together, these findings reveal a novel chronic stress-mediated LUAD signalling pathway: chronic stress enforces lung adenocarcinoma cell invasion and migration via the ACh/α5-nAChR/FHIT axis, which could be a potential therapeutic target for chronic stress-related LUAD.

Potential Role of the Fragile Histidine Triad in Cancer Evo-Dev.

Cancer development follows an evolutionary pattern of "mutation-selection-adaptation" detailed by Cancer Evolution and Development (Cancer Evo-Dev), a theory that represents a process of accumulating somatic mutations due to the imbalance between the mutation-promoting force and the mutation-repairing force and retro-differentiation of the mutant cells to cancer initiation cells in a chronic inflammatory microenvironment. The fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene is a tumor suppressor gene whose expression is often reduced or inactivated in precancerous lesions during chronic inflammation or virus-induced replicative stress. Here, we summarize evidence regarding the mechanisms by which the FHIT is inactivated in cancer, including the loss of heterozygosity and the promoter methylation, and characterizes the role of the FHIT in bridging macroevolution and microevolution and in facilitating retro-differentiation during cancer evolution and development. It is suggested that decreased FHIT expression is involved in several critical steps of Cancer Evo-Dev. Future research needs to focus on the role and mechanisms of the FHIT in promoting the transformation of pre-cancerous lesions into cancer.

The Tumour Suppressor Fhit Protein Activates C-Raf Ubiquitination and Degradation in Human Melanoma Cells by Interacting with Hsp90.

Fhit protein expression is reduced in the majority of human tumors; moreover, its restoration both triggers apoptosis of cancer cells and suppresses tumor formation in a large number of preclinical models of cancers. In the following study, we observed that Fhit expression is significantly reduced in human melanoma cells, and their in vivo growth is blocked by a recombinant adenovirus carrying the FHIT gene. Importantly, we found here that Fhit physically interacts with Hsp90. Since Hsp90 is a chaperone with a crucial function in the conformational maturation and stabilization of C-Raf, we also investigated whether Fhit could interfere with the Hsp90/C-Raf protein complex in melanoma. Interestingly, the administration of the Hsp90 inhibitor 17-AAG, in combination with Fhit protein overexpression in melanoma cells, reacts synergistically to increase C-Raf ubiquitination and degradation. These data reveal Hsp90 as a novel interactor of Fhit and suggest that FHIT activity restoration could represent a helpful strategy for suppressing the oncogenic C-Raf pathway in the therapy of human melanoma.

Development of Nucleoside Diphosphate-Bearing Fragile Histidine Triad-Imaging Fluorescence Probes with Well-Tuned Hydrophobicity for Intracellular Delivery.

Fluorescence-guided cancer surgery can dramatically improve recurrence rates and postoperative quality of life of patients by accurately distinguishing the boundary between normal and cancer tissues during surgery, thereby minimizing excision of normal tissue. One promising target in early stage cancer is fragile histidine triad (FHIT), a cancer suppressor protein with dinucleoside triphosphate hydrolase activity. In this study, we have developed fluorescence probes containing a nucleoside diphosphate moiety, which dramatically improves the reactivity and specificity for FHIT, and a moderately lipophilic ester moiety to increase the membrane permeability. The ester moiety is cleaved by ubiquitous intracellular esterases, and then, FHIT in the cells specifically cleaves nucleoside monophosphate. The remaining phosphate moiety is rapidly cleaved by ubiquitous intracellular phosphatases to release the fluorescent dye. We confirmed that this probe can detect FHIT activity in living cells. A comprehensive evaluation of the effects of various ester moieties revealed that probes with CLogP = 5-7 showed good membrane permeability and were good substrates of the target enzyme; these findings may be helpful in the rational design of other multiple phosphate-containing probes targeting intracellular enzymes.

[Epigenetic changes in the promoter of the fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene in human sebocytes under the influence of in vitro culture]. / Epigenetische Veränderungen am Promotor des fragilen Histidin-Trias(FHIT)-Gens in menschlichen Sebozyten unter dem Einfluss der In-vitro-Kultur.

BACKGROUND: Due to the lack of tumor suppressor function of the fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene product, sebaceous gland carcinomas can develop. OBJECTIVE: The model of the sebocyte cell line SZ95 was used to identify methylated CpG islands at the 5'-end of the FHIT gene and the decrease of gene expression as well as the increase of double-stranded (ds) DNA breaks were examined. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Methylation, immunofluorescence analysis, promotor sequencing and treatment of SZ95 cells with 5­azacytidine/trichostatin A (TSA). RESULTS: The cultivation was accompanied by an increasing methylation of the CpG islands, a decrease of the FHIT gene expression and an accumulation of ds-DNA breaks. Treatment with 5­azacytidine/TSA showed a decrease in DNA methylation and a re-expression of FHIT transcripts. DISCUSSION: Epigenetic changes in the cellular genome are caused by in vitro cell culture. Consequently, a positive selection of sebocytes with an epigenetically inactivated FHIT locus occurs.

Relationship between Methylation of FHIT and CDH13 Gene Promoter Region and Liver Cancer.

In order to demonstrate the relationship between methylation of fragile histidine triad (FHIT) and T-cadherin/H-cadherin (CDH13) genes and liver cancer, the methylation status of FHIT and CDH13 was detected in healthy individuals and in Mongolian and Han patients with liver cancer. The phenol-chloroform method was used to extract genomic DNA. The methylation specific polymerase chain reaction method was applied to detect the methylation status of FHIT and CDH13. The relationship between smoking and alcohol consumption and gene (FHIT and CDH13) methylation was analyzed. There was significant difference in methylation rate of FHIT (72.67%, 34.67%) and CDH13 (72.0%, 28.0%) between liver cancer patients and healthy individuals of Mongolian descent (P<0.05), as well as that of FHIT (68%, 30.67%) and CDH13 (64%, 26%) between liver cancer patients and healthy individuals of Han individuals (P<0.05). There was also a relationship between smoking and drinking and the methylation of FHIT and CDH13 (P<0.05). Thus, the methylation of FHIT and CDH13 had a relationship with liver cancer incidence. Smoking and alcohol ingestion may promote the methylation of FHIT and CDH13.

Expression and correlation of Bmi-1, AEG-1 and FHIT in bladder transitional cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: To explore the expression and correlation of B-cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus insertion site 1 (Bmi-1), astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) and fragile histidine triad (FHIT) in bladder transitional cell carcinoma (BTCC). METHODS: Forty-six tissue samples were obtained from patients diagnosed with primary bladder cancer during the first radical cystectomy between June 2010 and January 2014. The expression of Bmi-1, AEG-1 and FHIT in normal tissues and BTCC tissues in different histological cell types, clinical pathological stages and lymph node metastatic status were evaluated by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Relationships between Bmi-1, AEG-1 and FHIT were determined using linear correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The results of qRT-PCR showed the relative expression of Bmi-1 and AEG-1 were higher and the expression of FHIT was lower in BTCC tissues than those in normal tissues, whether in different histological cell types, clinical pathological stages or lymph node metastatic status (P<0.05). Similarly, the up-regulated expression of Bmi-1 and AEG-1 and down-regulated expression of FHIT in BTCC tissues were observed by the Western blot and immunohistochemistry compared with normal tissues (P<0.05). Linear correlation analysis showed the expression of Bmi-1 was positively correlated with AEG-1 (r>0.90, P<0.01), which was negatively correlated with the expression of FHIT, respectively (r=-0.84, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated the up-regulated expression of Bmi-1 and AEG-1 and the down-regulated expression of FHIT in BTCC tissues. The interaction of Bmi-1, AEG-1 and FHIT may involve in the tumorigenesis, progression and invasion of BTCC through NF-κB/MMP-9 pathway.

N-Terminal Domain of Fragile Histidine Triad Exerts Potent Cytotoxic Effect in HT1080 Cells and Increases Doxorubicin Cytotoxicity.

Fragile histidine triad (FHIT) serves a critical function as a tumor suppressor that inhibits p53 degradation by mouse double minute 2 (MDM2). The functional domains of FHIT involved in tumor inhibition was interpreted. In-silico screening data were employed to construct truncated forms of FHIT to assess their cytotoxic effects on the HT1080 cell line. Full FHIT expression was confirmed by western blotting and expression of two FHIT truncates were confirmed by RT-PCR. Transfection of these truncated forms into HT1080 cells showed that the N-terminal truncated form (amino acids 17-102) better inhibited proliferation than the full-length FHIT. The combined effects of these truncated forms augmented doxorubicin-induced cytotoxicity. Functional analysis demonstrated that these fragments and their combination with doxorubicin can arrest cells in the G2 phase of the cell cycle as specified by flow cytometry. The FHIT functional domains can be used as lead compounds for development of drug designs and gene transfer for cancer therapy.

Assessment of fragile histidine triad expression in ameloblastoma, odontogenic keratocyst and dentigerous cyst.

BACKGROUND: FHIT (Fragile histidine triad) a member of tumor suppressor family, has been extensively studied in many solid tumors including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Among all head and neck cyst and tumors odontogenic lesions account approximately 3%-9%. The molecular pathogenesis of these lesions is less explored. Defects in cell cycle regulators and tumor suppressor genes could result in the development of odontogenic cyst and tumors. Hence, we aimed to determine the significant role of a tumor suppressor gene FHIT in most commonly occurring odontogenic lesions mainly ameloblastoma, odontogenic keratocyst and dentigerous cyst. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical analysis of FHIT was done in ameloblastoma, odontogenic keratocyst, dentigerous cyst and dental follicle. Interpretation of the stained slides were done using standard scoring criteria by two pathologist. The results were subjected for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Expression of FHIT varied among the groups, with highest negative expression in ameloblastoma 44.4% followed by odontogenic keratocyst 14% and 100%positive expression was seen in dentigerous cyst. The expression levels between the groups were statistically insignificant. CONCLUSION: The varied expression or negative expression of FHIT could be considered as an indicator for aggressive behavior and transformation of preneoplastic/cystic epithelium.

Effect of interventional embolotherapy on FHIT and p16 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

Effects of interventional embolotherapy on the expression of fragile histidine triad (FHIT) and p16 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients were investigated. Patients with primary HCC who were definitely diagnosed and treated in the Department of Gastroenterology in Qingdao Central Hospital from March 2014 to March 2016 were selected, and they underwent interventional embolotherapy. HCC and cancer-adjacent tissues of the patients were harvested for immunohistochemical staining. The correlation between the expression levels of FHIT and p16 was analyzed at the gene and protein level. Clinical data were collected, and whether they were correlated with the expression of FHIT and p16 was investigated. The expression levels of FHIT and p16 in primary HCC tissues were remarkably lower than that in cancer-adjacent tissues (P<0.05). In HCC tissues, FHIT expression was obviously positively correlated with p16 expression (Spearman's correlation coefficient, r=0.308; P=0.025). FHIT was related to HCC tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging, the differentiation degree in Edmondson-Steiner grading, lymph node metastasis and portal vein thrombosis (P<0.05 in all comparisons), whereas, p16 was associated with tumor size and the differentiation degree in Edmondson-Steiner grading (P<0.05 in all comparisons). The expression of FHIT and p16 genes and proteins in HCC tissues were obviously lower than those in cancer-adjacent tissues (P<0.05 in all comparisons). FHIT and p16 genes, as tumor suppressor genes, inhibit the proliferation of HCC, and there is a positive correlation between them. The proteins of the FHIT and p16 can be used as new indicators for clinical detection, thus providing a new method for clinical diagnosis.

Effects of FHIT gene on proliferation and apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells.

Regulatory effects of fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene on proliferation and apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells were studied. The hFOB1.19 and Saos2 cells were routinely cultured, pcDNA3.1-FHIT overexpression vectors carrying FHIT gene fragments and blank pcDNA3.1 vectors were transfected into Saos2 cells, respectively, and the cells were divided into hFOB, Saos2, transfection and no-load transfection groups. After transfection for 48 h, the cells were collected and analyzed. The expression of FHIT messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The expression of FHIT protein was detected by western blot analysis. Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK8) was used to detect cell proliferation, and flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis. The expression of FHIT mRNA was significantly decreased in Saos2 group compared with that in hFOB group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The expression of FHIT mRNA was significantly increased in transfection group compared with that in Saos2 group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The expression of FHIT protein was obviously decreased in Saos2 group compared with that in hFOB group, and there was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The expression of FHIT protein was obviously increased in transfection group compared with that in Saos2 group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared with that in the hFOB group, the cell proliferation rate was remarkably increased in Saos2 group, while the apoptosis rate was remarkably decreased, showing statistically significant differences (P<0.05). Compared with those in Saos2 group, the cell proliferation rate was significantly decreased in transfection group, while the apoptosis rate was significantly increased, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). In conclusion, FHIT gene regulates the proliferation and apoptosis of Saos2 osteosarcoma cells, inhibits the proliferation and promotes apoptosis of Saos2 osteosarcoma cells.

[Interaction between abnormal expression of fragile histidine triad and methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 on cervical cancerization].

Objective: To explore the relationship between abnormal expression of fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene and methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) as well as their interaction on cervical cancerization. Methods: A total of 73 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 113 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN Ⅰ, n=45; CINⅡ/Ⅲ, n=68) and 60 women with normal cervix (NC) were included in the study. Real time PCR and Western blot were performed to detect the expression levels of mRNA and protein about FHIT and MeCP2, respectively. The methylation status of FHIT gene CpG island was tested by methylation-specifc PCR (MSP). Kruskal-Wallis H test, χ(2) test, trend χ(2) test and Spearman correlation analysis were conducted with software SPSS 20.0. The interaction was evaluated by generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) model. Results: With the deterioration of cervical lesion, the methylation rates of FHIT gene CpG island (χ(2)=18.64, P<0.001; trend χ(2)=18.08, P<0.001) increased gradually, while the expression levels of FHIT mRNA (H=27.32, P<0.001; trend χ(2)=12.65, P<0.001) and protein (H=47.10, P<0.001; trend χ(2)=29.79, P<0.001) decreased gradually. There was a negative correlation between the methylation rates of FHIT gene CpG island and the expression level of FHIT protein (r=-0.226, P<0.001). The levels of MeCP2 mRNA (H=26.19, P<0.001; trend χ(2)=11.81, P=0.001) and protein (H=69.02, P<0.001; trend χ(2)=47.44, P<0.001) increased gradually with the aggravation of cervical lesions. There was a positive correlation between the expression level of MeCP2 protein and the FHIT mRNA Ct ratio (r=0.254, P<0.001). Expression of proteins were negatively correlated between MeCP2 and FHIT (r=-0.213, P=0.001). The results analyzed by GMDR model showed that there were interactions among high MeCP2 protein expression, the CpG island methylation of FHIT and mRNA and protein expression in CINⅡ/Ⅲ group, and among high MeCP2 mRNA and protein expression, the CpG island methylation of FHIT and low mRNA and protein expression in SCC group. Conclusion: High expression of MeCP2 mRNA and protein, the CpG island methylation and low mRNA and protein expression of FHIT could increase the risk of cervical carcinogenesis, and there might be a synergistic effect on cervical carcinogenesis.

Interaction between abnormal expression of fragile histidine triad and methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 on cervical cancerization / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To explore the relationship between abnormal expression of fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene and methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) as well as their interaction on cervical cancerization.Methods A total of 73 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC),113 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN Ⅰ,n =45;CIN Ⅱ/Ⅲ,n=68) and 60 women with normal cervix (NC) were included in the study.Real time PCR and Western blot were performed to detect the expression levels of mRNA and protein about FHIT and MeCP2,respectively.The methylation status of FHIT gene CpG island was tested by methylation-specifc PCR (MSP).Kruskal-Wallis H test,x2 test,trend x2 test and Spearman correlation analysis were conducted with software SPSS 20.0.The interaction was evaluated by generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) model.Results With the deterioration of cervical lesion,the methylation rates of FHIT gene CpG island (x2=18.64,P＜0.001;trendx2=18.08,P＜0.001) increased gradually,while the expression levels of FHIT mRNA (H=27.32,P＜0.001;trendx2=12.65,P＜0.001) and protein (H=47.10,P＜0.001;trendx2=29.79,P＜0.001) decreased gradually.There was a negative correlation between the methylation rates of FHIT gene CpG island and the expression level of FHIT protein (r=-0.226,P＜0.001).The levels of MeCP2 mRNA (H=26.19,P＜0.001;trend x2=11.81,P=0.001) and protein (H=69.02,P＜ 0.001;trend x2 =47.44,P＜ 0.001) increased gradually with the aggravation of cervical lesions.There was a positive correlation between the expression level of MeCP2 protein and the FHIT mRNA Ct ratio (r=0.254,P＜0.001).Expression of proteins were negatively correlated between MeCP2 and FHIT (r=-0.213,P=0.001).The results analyzed by GMDR model showed that there were interactions among high MeCP2 protein expression,the CpG island methylation of FHIT and mRNA and protein expression in CIN Ⅱ/Ⅲ group,and among high MeCP2 mRNA and protein expression,the CpG island methylation of FHIT and low mRNA and protein expression in SCC group.Conclusion High expression of MeCP2 mRNA and protein,the CpG island methylation and low mRNA and protein expression of FHIT could increase the risk of cervical carcinogenesis,and there might be a synergistic effect on cervical carcinogenesis.

Interaction between abnormal expression of fragile histidine triad and methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 on cervical cancerization / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To explore the relationship between abnormal expression of fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene and methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) as well as their interaction on cervical cancerization.Methods A total of 73 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC),113 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN Ⅰ,n =45;CIN Ⅱ/Ⅲ,n=68) and 60 women with normal cervix (NC) were included in the study.Real time PCR and Western blot were performed to detect the expression levels of mRNA and protein about FHIT and MeCP2,respectively.The methylation status of FHIT gene CpG island was tested by methylation-specifc PCR (MSP).Kruskal-Wallis H test,x2 test,trend x2 test and Spearman correlation analysis were conducted with software SPSS 20.0.The interaction was evaluated by generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) model.Results With the deterioration of cervical lesion,the methylation rates of FHIT gene CpG island (x2=18.64,P＜0.001;trendx2=18.08,P＜0.001) increased gradually,while the expression levels of FHIT mRNA (H=27.32,P＜0.001;trendx2=12.65,P＜0.001) and protein (H=47.10,P＜0.001;trendx2=29.79,P＜0.001) decreased gradually.There was a negative correlation between the methylation rates of FHIT gene CpG island and the expression level of FHIT protein (r=-0.226,P＜0.001).The levels of MeCP2 mRNA (H=26.19,P＜0.001;trend x2=11.81,P=0.001) and protein (H=69.02,P＜ 0.001;trend x2 =47.44,P＜ 0.001) increased gradually with the aggravation of cervical lesions.There was a positive correlation between the expression level of MeCP2 protein and the FHIT mRNA Ct ratio (r=0.254,P＜0.001).Expression of proteins were negatively correlated between MeCP2 and FHIT (r=-0.213,P=0.001).The results analyzed by GMDR model showed that there were interactions among high MeCP2 protein expression,the CpG island methylation of FHIT and mRNA and protein expression in CIN Ⅱ/Ⅲ group,and among high MeCP2 mRNA and protein expression,the CpG island methylation of FHIT and low mRNA and protein expression in SCC group.Conclusion High expression of MeCP2 mRNA and protein,the CpG island methylation and low mRNA and protein expression of FHIT could increase the risk of cervical carcinogenesis,and there might be a synergistic effect on cervical carcinogenesis.

FHIT promoter DNA methylation and expression analysis in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Fragile histidine triad (FHIT) is a tumor suppressor gene, which is involved in several malignancies. Epigenetic alterations in FHIT have been hypothesized to contribute to tumorigenesis. The present study aimed to examine DNA promoter methylation and gene expression levels of FHIT in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), in a sample of Iranian patients. The promoter methylation status of FHIT was analyzed in 100 patients diagnosed with ALL and 120 healthy control patients. mRNA expression levels were assessed in 30 new cases of ALL compared with 32 healthy controls. Hypermethylation of the FHIT promoter was significantly more frequent in patients with ALL than in healthy controls (OR=3.83, 95% CI=1.51-9.75, P=0.007). Furthermore, FHIT mRNA expression levels were significantly reduced in childhood ALL patients compared with healthy controls (P=0.032). The results of the present study revealed that dysregulation of the FHIT gene may contribute to the pathogenesis of childhood ALL. Future studies investigating a larger sample population with greater ethnic diversity would be beneficial, to confirm the results from the present study.

Protein expression of Fragile Histidine Triad and cyclooxgenase-2 in serrated neoplasia of the colorectum.

The adenoma-carcinoma sequence (ACS) and the serrated pathway are two distinct developmental routes leading to the formation of colorectal carcinoma (CRC). However, the mechanism triggered by the serrated pathway remains unclear. Therefore, to clarify the molecular and clinicopathological characteristics of the serrated tumorigenic pathway, immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of Fragile Histidine Triad (FHIT), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), MutL homolog 1 (MLH1), MutS protein homolog 2 (MSH2) and P53 in endoscopically resected samples of 62 serrated polyps. These samples included 20 hyperplastic polyps (HPs), 16 traditional serrated adenomas (TSAs), 26 sessile serrated adenoma/polyps (SSA/Ps), 20 non-serrated adenomas, 20 carcinoma in adenomas (CIAs) and 18 early pure CRCs without any adenoma component (EPCs). FHIT expression was markedly reduced or absent in 50% of TSA samples, 92.3% of SSA/Ps and 44% of EPCs, but only rarely in HPs, non-serrated adenomas and CIAs. COX-2 expression was more common in non-serrated adenomas compared with in serrated polyps, and was present in 25 and 3.2% of the cases respectively (P<0.01). Furthermore, COX-2 expression was more frequent in CIAs (60%) compared with in EPCs (22.2%; P<0.05). The incidence of negative COX-2 expression was higher in FHIT-negative SSA/Ps compared with in FHIT-positive SSA/Ps (P=0.08). A total of 16.7% of EPC samples and 11.5% of SSA/Ps demonstrated a loss of MLH1/MSH2 expression, but none of the other tumor types did. P53 overexpression was significantly increased in EPC (77.8%) and CIA (60%) samples compared with in HP (0%), TSA (6.6%), SSA/P (0%) and non-serrated adenoma (10%) samples (P<0.01). These findings demonstrated that there are different expression patterns between the serrated pathway and ACS, indicating that aberrant FHIT and inhibited COX-2 expression may be associated with serrated tumorigenesis. In addition, this data indicated that EPC may contain tumors derived from the serrated pathway as well as ACS.

Frequent aberrant p53 and Fhit expression in endoscopically resected superficial hypopharyngeal cancer and esophageal cancer.

In the last decade, the incidence rate of detection rate of superficial head, neck and esophageal squamous cell carcinomas has increased with the development of endoscopic imaging techniques. These cancers are thought to arise independently subsequent to tissue exposure to a common carcinogen e.g. alcohol or tobacco. This phenomenon has been termed field cancerization. To determine the molecular background of the development of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (HPSCCs) and double esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (DESCCs), the present study immunohistochemically assessed tumor-related protein expression [p53, Fhit (fragile histidine triad), E-cadherin and activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)], and subsequently determined the correlation between protein expression and clinicopathological data. Tumor specimens of 9 HPSCCs and 9 DESCCs were endoscopically obtained from 8 patients with HPSCC. The 9 DESCCs, including 5 synchronous and 4 metachronous lesions, were all obtained from four patients with HPSCC. The overexpression of p53 and loss of Fhit expression was immunohistochemically detected in 8 (88.9%) and 8 (88.9%) of the 9 HPSCCs and in 8 (88.9%) and 8 (88.9%) of the 9 DESCCs, respectively, which demonstrated the high frequency of such expression. Additionally, 7 out of 9 HPSCCs, and 7 out of 9 DESCCs demonstrated aberrant expression of p53 and Fhit. The rate of aberrant AID and E-cadherin expression was 67 and 44% in HPSCCs and 44 and 44% in DESCC, respectively. These results suggested that aberrant p53 and Fhit expression was involved in the development of HPSCC and their DESCC, and that their expression may be used for the prediction of DESCC development in patients with HPSCC, thereby acting as a biomarker of field cancerization.

Expression of methylation-modulated tumor-related genes in endoscopically resected early esophageal squamous neoplasia.

Smoking and alcohol consumption are major risk factors for the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Recent studies have demonstrated that smoking and alcohol consumption may be associated with altered DNA methylation in human cancer development. The aim of the present study was to evaluate methylation-modulated protein expression of tumor-related genes (TRGs) in the early stages of esophageal squamous neoplasia (ESN). ESN tissue samples (n=141) comprising 19 cases of low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN), 70 of high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia/carcinoma in situ (HGIN/CIS) and 52 of invasive cancer, were endoscopically resected. The methylation-modulated protein expression of 5 TRGs [fragile histidine triad (FHIT), E-cadherin, MutL homolog 1 (MLH1) /MutS homolog 2 (MSH2) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)] as well as p53 was examined with immunohistochemistry, and their expression was compared with patient clinicopathological characteristics. Reduced or loss of FHIT, E-cadherin, MLH1/MSH2 and COX-2 expression was detected in 26.3 (5/19), 5.3 (1/19), 0 (0/19) and 63.2% (12/19) of LGIN cases, 61.4 (43/70), 18.6 (13/70), 7.1 (5/70) and 65.7% (46/70) of HGIN/CIS cases, and 78.8 (41/52), 50.0 (26/52), 11.5 (6/52) and 59.6% (31/52) of invasive cancer cases, respectively. Reduced or absent expression of FHIT and E-cadherin was significantly associated with neoplastic progression (FHIT, P=0.0007; E-cadherin, P=0.00014). The mean number of TRGs (FHIT, E-cadherin, MLH1/MSH2, and COX-2) that exhibited reduced or absent expression in LGIN, HGIN/CIS and invasive cancer specimens was 1.12±0.61, 1.66±0.93 and 2.09±0.96, respectively, demonstrating a significant stepwise increment from LGIN to HGIN/CIS and then to invasive cancer (P<0.05). p53 overexpression was frequently detected in ESN with head and neck carcinomas. However p53 overexpression was not significantly associated with ESN progression. An increase in the number of the 5 TRG proteins with reduced or loss of expression in the early stages of esophageal tumorigenesis was demonstrated, and their decreased expression was observed to be associated with tumor progression. Therefore, smoking and alcohol drinking may be associated with not only carcinogenesis but also the progression of ESN.

In silico analysis of fragile histidine triad involved in regression of carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCCa) is a primary malignancy of the liver. Many different proteins are involved in HCCa including insulin growth factor (IGF) II , signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) 3, STAT4, mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 (SMAD 4), fragile histidine triad (FHIT) and selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) etc. The present study is based on the bioinformatics analysis of FHIT protein in order to understand the proteomics aspect and improvement of the diagnosis of the disease based on the protein. Different information related to protein were gathered from different databases, including National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Gene, Protein and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) databases, Uniprot database, String database and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Moreover, the structure of the protein and evaluation of the quality of the structure were included from Easy modeler programme. Hence, this analysis not only helped to gather information related to the protein at one place, but also analysed the structure and quality of the protein to conclude that the protein has a role in carcinoma.