Genetic analysis in APC, KRAS, and TP53 in patients with stomach and colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: Stomach cancer (SC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) present with high rates of incidence and mortality in the worldwide population. These 2 tumors are characterized by great genetic heterogeneity. Up to now, there have been no molecular studies that analyze the mutations in the APC, KRAS, and TP53 genes in the Colombian/Latin American population. OBJECTIVES: To analyze mutations in the APC, KRAS, and TP53 genes through direct sequencing in 59 patients with SC and CRC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with SC and 30 with CRC were studied. An analysis of the mutations of the 3 genes was carried out using polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing techniques. RESULTS: A 30.5% total mutation frequency was found. The most frequently mutated gene was APC (15.3%), followed by KRAS (10.1%) and TP53 (5.1%). The CRC samples had a mutation frequency of 46.7% and it was 13.3% in the SC samples (P=.006). No mutations occurred simultaneously in the 3 genes. Mutations in 2 genes were found in only 6 tumor samples (10%). There was also a high frequency of polymorphisms in both types of cancer, the most common of which was the rs41115 polymorphism, located on the APC gene. CONCLUSION: The APC, KRAS, and TP53 gene mutations were more common in CRC than in SC. Our results suggest the existence of different genetic pathways in the carcinogenesis of SC and CRC and they also reveal a particular mutation frequency in the Colombian patients studied; this could be influenced by factors related to the environment, ethnicity, and lifestyle of this population.

Caracterización molecular del gen supresor de tumores TP53 en el cáncer colorrectal / Molecular characterization of TP53 tumor suppressor gene in colorectal cancer

Introducción: El cáncer colorrectal (CCR) es una de las neoplasias más comunes en el mundo; especialmente,en los países desarrollados. En Colombia, la incidencia del CCR ocupa el cuarto lugar en hombres ymujeres; el CCR tiene una gran heterogeneidad genética. Objetivo: Determinar la presencia de mutacionesen los exones 5-8 del gen TP53 en tumores colorrectales, mediante el secuenciamiento directo. Métodos:Muestras con diagnóstico histopatológico de CCR esporádico se dividieron en dos grupos. El Grupo I fue de 30 muestras de tumores a partir de biopsias frescas, y el Grupo II, de 46 muestras de tejidos tumorales embebidos en bloques de parafi na. El análisis de mutaciones se realizó en los exones 5-8 del gen TP53,empleando las técnicas de PCR y de secuenciamiento directo. Resultados: Se encontró una baja frecuenciade mutaciones en el gen TP53, del 4,4%; las mutaciones detectadas fueron sin sentido; además, fueronidentifi cados dos polimorfi smos que segregan juntos. Todas las mutaciones y los polimorfi smos se detectaron en las muestras del grupo I. La mayoría de las muestras analizadas se hallaban en un estado avanzado del cáncer. Conclusiones: La baja frecuencia obtenida de mutaciones en TP53 permite sugerir la existencia de alteraciones en otras vías genéticas, relacionadas con la carcinogénesis colorrectal, como las vías de MSI y de CIN, así como la epigenética; dichas alteraciones no podrían excluirse en las muestras evaluadas. Los estudios moleculares en muestras de tejidos embebidos en parafi na presentan difi cultades para los análisis genéticos. La caracterización molecular del CCR es importante para conocer el espectro de mutaciones y de variantes moleculares presentes en la población observada.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world, especially indeveloped countries. In Colombia, the incidence of CRC ranks fourth in men and women. CRC has greatgenetic heterogeneity. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of mutations inexons 5 to 8 of the TP53 gene in colorectal tumors by direct sequencing. Patients and Methods: Samples with histopathological diagnoses of sporadic CRC were divided into two groups. Group I included 30 tumor samples from fresh biopsies and Group II included 46 tumor tissue samples embedded in paraffi n blocks. Mutational analysis was performed for exons 5 through 8 of the TP53 gene using PCR and direct sequencing.Results: The frequency of TP53 mutations was only 4.4%, and mutations that were detected were nonsense mutations. In addition, two polymorphisms that segregate together were identifi ed. All mutations and polymorphismswere detected in samples from Group I. Most of the samples were in advanced stages of cancer.Conclusions: The low frequency of mutations in TP53 suggests the existence of alterations on other related genetic pathways in colorectal carcinogenesis. These could include MSI pathways, CIN and epigenetics. Such alterations could not be excluded in the samples tested. Molecular studies of tissue samples embedded inparaffi n are diffi cult to analyze genetically. Molecular characterization of CRC is important for determining the spectrum of mutations and molecular variants present in our population.

Estudio de las aneuploidías del cromosoma 17 y la deleción del gen TP53 en neoplasias hematológicas, por la técnica del FISH-bicolor / Study of chromosome 17 aneuploidy and of TP53 gene deletion in patients with hematological neoplasias by dualcolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)

Las neoplasias hematológicas se caracterizan por presentar una amplia diversidad de alteraciones genéticas. Se analizaron 15 muestras de pacientes con diferentes tipos de neoplasias hematológicas mediante la técnica FISH, para detectar aneuploidías del cromosoma 17 y la deleción del gen TP53. En 11 de ellas se hicieron análisis cromosómicos por citogenética convencional; 6 de las 11 tenían cariotipo anormal (54,5%): se detectaron 3 translocaciones y 3 mosaicismos. El análisis de las 15 muestras mediante la técnica FISH mostró un 26,7% de aneuploidía del cromosoma 17 y un 33,3% con deleción del gen TP53. De los 6 casos con cariotipo anormal, en 2 se detectaron alteraciones por FISH. En 5 casos se detectaron con esta técnica alteraciones cromosómicas no observadas por citogenética convencional. Solo en 3 (20%) de las 15 muestras analizadas el análisis cromosómico resultó normal por citogenética convencional y FISH. En este trabajo se corrobora que la aneuploidía del cromosoma 17 y la deleción del gen TP53 tienen una baja frecuencia en las neoplasias hematológicas. Sin embargo, el valor pronóstico de estas alteraciones genéticas no está bien definido.

Hematological neoplasias are characterized by a wide spectrum of genetic alterations. We analyzed 15 specimens from patients with various types of hematological malignancies by means of the FISH technique in order to detect aneuploidy of chromosome 17 and deletion of TP53 gene. In 11 of them chromosomal analyses were also carried out using conventional cytogenetic techniques; in 6 of these 11 specimens (54.5%) abnormal karyotypes were detected, namely: 3 translocations and 3 mosaicisms. FISH results revealed that in 26.7% of the 15 specimens there was chromosome 17 aneuploidy, and that 33.3% had TP53 deletion. Out of the 6 cases with abnormal karyotypes, further alterations were detected in two by FISH. In 5 cases chromosomal abnormalities were detected by FISH but not by the conventional cytogenetic procedures. Only in 3 (20%) out of the 15 specimens the results of chromosomal analyses were normal by both the conventional cytogenetics and FISH. These results corroborate the low frequency of chromosome 17 aneuploidy and of TP53 gene deletion in hematological neoplasias. However, the prognostic value of these genetic alterations is still not well defined.