K-ras mutations are frequent in pulmonary squamous cell carcinomas but not in adenocarcinomas of WBN/Kob rats induced by N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine

Pulmonary carcinomas induced by N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl) amine (BOP) in WBN/Kob rats were screened for point mutations in the K-ras protooncogene. Exons 1 and 2 were polymerase chain reaction amplified from paraffin-embedded sections, followed by direct DNA sequencing. G ↑ A transition mutations in the second base of codon 12 of the K-ras gene were found in 6/24 (25%) rat lung tumors induced by BOP. The incidence of point mutations was significantly higher (P < 0.005) in squamous cell carcinomas (5/7; 71%) than in adenocarcinomas (1/17; 6%), suggesting that the mutational activation of K-ras is associated with a differential growth advantage in these two histologically distinct types of lung tumors in rats. No mutations were found in codons 13, 61 or adjacent regions of these codon

p53 mutations in phenacetin-associated human urothelial carcinomas

Chronic abuse of the analgesic drug phenacetin is associated with an increased risk of development of transitional cell carcinomas of the urinary tract. It is unclear whether phenacetin acts through chronic tissue damage (phenacetin nephropathy) or via a genotoxic metabolite causing promutagenic DNA lesions. In the present study, we investigated 15 urothelial carcinomas from 13 patients with evidence of phenacetin abuse. Tumors were screened for p53 mutations in exons 5-8 by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, followed by direct sequencing of PCR-amplified DNA. p53 Mutations were detected in 8/14 primary tumors (57%). All except one were missense mutations located in exon 5 (three mutations), exon 6 (one), exon 7 (two) and exon 8 (one). The type of mutation varied, with a preference for CpG sites. A frameshift mutation resulting from the insertion of a single cytosine at codons 151/152 was detected in a bladder tumor and its lung metastasis. Urothelial carcinomas located in the renal pelvis and in the ureter of the same patient exhibited two different mutations, strongly suggesting that they developed independently. Another patient had tumors in the renal pelvis and bladder, both of which contained the same p53 mutation, indicating intracavitary metastatic spread. This demonstrates that screening of p53 mutations allows the clonal origin of tumors in patients with multiple primary and metastatic lesions to be determined. None of the tumors investigated contained mutations in codons 12, 13 or 61 of H-ras or K-ras protooncogene

Modulation of N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine bioactivation by diallyl sulfide in vivo

Diallyl sulfide (DAS), a major component of garlic oil, is an inhibitor of tumorigenesis by various metabolcally activated carcinogens. In rats, pretreatment with DAS has been observed to suppress completely the induction of oesophageal neoplasms by N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine (NMBzA) (Wargovich et al. (1988) Cancer Res., 48, 6872-6875). This communication reports the effects of DAS on overall NMBzA metabolism and on DNA methylation of NMBzA in vivo under conditions equivalent to a single treatment of the chemoprevention assay. Male Fischer 344 rats received a single i.g. dose of DAS (200 mg/kg body wt) followed by an s.c. injection of [methyl-14C]NMBzA (3.5 mg/kg). In controls, exhalation of 14CO2 was complete within 5 h (t½max = 1.2 h). with 50% of the injected radioactivity recovered as 14CO2. When DAS was given 3 h prior to [methyl-14C]NMBzA, 49% of the injected radioactivity was released within 10 h (t½max = 3 h). When DAS was administered 18 h before the carcinogen, 42% of [methyl-14C]NMBzA was converted to 14CO2, with exhalation complete after 6 h (t½max = 1.8 h). We further examined the effects of acute doses of 10—200 mg/kg of DAS on DNA methylation by a single dose of NMBzA (3.5 mg/kg; survival time, 6 h) administered 3 h later. At 200 mg/kg, DAS inhibited the formation of O6-methyldeoxyguanosine (O6-MEdG) in oesophagus (−26%), nasal mucosa (−51%), trachea (−68%) and lung (−78%). In liver, levels of 7-MEdG were reduced by 43%. Decreases in DNA methylation were proportional to dose for >25 mg/kg of DAS in oesophagus, liver and nasal mucosa, for 25—200 mg/kg in trachea and 10—50 mg/kg in lung. The dose—activity relationship for inhibition by DAS of DNA methylation by NMBzA suggests that short-term modulation of carcinogen bioactivation in situ contributes to but may not be sufficient for the chemoprevention of nitrosamine tumorigenesis by DAS. Diallyl sulfide (DAS), a major component of garlic oil, is an inhibitor of tumorigenesis by various metabolcally activated carcinogens. In rats, pretreatment with DAS has been observed to suppress completely the induction of oesophageal neoplasms by N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine (NMBzA) (Wargovich et al. (1988) Cancer Res., 48, 6872-6875). This communication reports the effects of DAS on overall NMBzA metabolism and on DNA methylation of NMBzA in vivo under conditions equivalent to a single treatment of the chemoprevention assay. Male Fischer 344 rats received a single i.g. dose of DAS (200 mg/kg body wt) followed by an s.c. injection of [methyl-14C]NMBzA (3.5 mg/kg). In controls, exhalation of 14CO2 was complete within 5 h (t½max = 1.2 h). with 50% of the injected radioactivity recovered as 14CO2. When DAS was given 3 h prior to [methyl-14C]NMBzA, 49% of the injected radioactivity was released within 10 h (t½max = 3 h). When DAS was administered 18 h before the carcinogen, 42% of [methyl-14C]NMBzA was converted to 14CO2, with exhalation complete after 6 h (t½max = 1.8 h). We further examined the effects of acute doses of 10—200 mg/kg of DAS on DNA methylation by a single dose of NMBzA (3.5 mg/kg; survival time, 6 h) administered 3 h later. At 200 mg/kg, DAS inhibited the formation of O6-methyldeoxyguanosine (O6-MEdG) in oesophagus (−26%), nasal mucosa (−51%), trachea (−68%) and lung (−78%). In liver, levels of 7-MEdG were reduced by 43%. Decreases in DNA methylation were proportional to dose for >25 mg/kg of DAS in oesophagus, liver and nasal mucosa, for 25—200 mg/kg in trachea and 10—50 mg/kg in lung. The dose—activity relationship for inhibition by DAS of DNA methylation by NMBzA suggests that short-term modulation of carcinogen bioactivation in situ contributes to but may not be sufficient for the chemoprevention of nitrosamine tumorigenesis by DA

DNA methylation in rat stomach and duodenum following chronic exposure to N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and the effect of dietary taurocholate

N-Methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) induces a high incidence of carcinomas in the glandular stomach of rats following chronic administration in the drinking water. We determined the level of 7-methylguanine and O6-mehtylguanine in gastric and duodenal DNA during chronic exposure to MNNG (80 p.p.m.). After considerable fluctuations during the initial 3 weeks, levels of methylpurines reached a steady state which was approximately three times higher in the pylorus (i.e. the preferential site of tumor induction)than in the fundus and duodenum, with 7-methylguanine and O6-methylguanine values in the rangeof 520 and 110 μmol/mol guanine, respectively. When rats were given MNNG in the drinking water at concentrations ranging from 10 to 80 p.p.m. for 3 weeks, levels of methylpurines reached maximum values already at 10-20 p.p.m. At higher MNNG concentrations, there was no further increase in DNA alkylation. The reason for this lack of dose response remained unclear. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that DNA methylatlon by MNNG is restricted to epithelial cells bordering the luminal surface. The possibility exists that in this target cell population the content of free thiols is a limiting factor for the decomposition of MNNG and its reaction with macromolecules in the gastric mucosa. Addition to the diet of sodium taurocholate, a bile acid previously shown to enhance MNNG-induced stomach carcinogenesis, did not influence the extent of DNA methylation, indicating that it acts as a promote

The 2007 WHO classification of tumours of the central nervous system

The fourth edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumours of the central nervous system, published in 2007, lists several new entities, including angiocentric glioma, papillary glioneuronal tumour, rosette-forming glioneuronal tumour of the fourth ventricle, papillary tumour of the pineal region, pituicytoma and spindle cell oncocytoma of the adenohypophysis. Histological variants were added if there was evidence of a different age distribution, location, genetic profile or clinical behaviour; these included pilomyxoid astrocytoma, anaplastic medulloblastoma and medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity. The WHO grading scheme and the sections on genetic profiles were updated and the rhabdoid tumour predisposition syndrome was added to the list of familial tumour syndromes typically involving the nervous system. As in the previous, 2000 edition of the WHO ‘Blue Book', the classification is accompanied by a concise commentary on clinico-pathological characteristics of each tumour type. The 2007 WHO classification is based on the consensus of an international Working Group of 25 pathologists and geneticists, as well as contributions from more than 70 international experts overall, and is presented as the standard for the definition of brain tumours to the clinical oncology and cancer research communities world-wid

Molecular subgroups of adult medulloblastoma: a long-term single-institution study

Background Recent transcriptomic approaches have demonstrated that there are at least 4 distinct subgroups in medulloblastoma (MB); however, survival studies of molecular subgroups in adult MB have been inconclusive because of small sample sizes. The aim of this study is to investigate the molecular subgroups in adult MB and identify their clinical and prognostic implications in a large, single-institution cohort. Methods We determined gene expression profiles for 13 primary adult MBs. Bioinformatics tools were used to establish distinct molecular subgroups based on the most informative genes in the dataset. Immunohistochemistry with subgroup-specific antibodies was then used for validation within an independent cohort of 201 formalin-fixed MB tumors, in conjunction with a systematic analysis of clinical and histological characteristics. Results Three distinct molecular variants of adult MB were identified: the SHH, WNT, and group 4 subgroups. Validation of these subgroups in the 201-tumor cohort by immunohistochemistry identified significant differences in subgroup-specific demographics, histology, and metastatic status. The SHH subgroup accounted for the majority of the tumors (62%), followed by the group 4 subgroup (28%) and the WNT subgroup (10%). Group 4 tumors had significantly worse progression-free and overall survival compared with tumors of the other molecular subtypes. Conclusions We have identified 3 subgroups of adult MB, characterized by distinct expression profiles, clinical features, pathological features, and prognosis. Clinical variables incorporated with molecular subgroup are more significantly informative for predicting adult patient outcome

Genetic alterations in gliosarcoma and giant cell glioblastoma

The majority of glioblastomas develop rapidly with a short clinical history (primary glioblastoma IDH wild-type), whereas secondary glioblastomas progress from diffuse astrocytoma or anaplastic astrocytoma. IDH mutations are the genetic hallmark of secondary glioblastomas. Gliosarcomas and giant cell glioblastomas are rare histological glioblastoma variants, which usually develop rapidly. We determined the genetic patterns of 36 gliosarcomas and 19 giant cell glioblastomas. IDH1 and IDH2 mutations were absent in all 36 gliosarcomas and in 18 of 19 giant cell glioblastomas analyzed, indicating that they are histological variants of primary glioblastoma. Furthermore, LOH 10q (88%) and TERT promoter mutations (83%) were frequent in gliosarcomas. Copy number profiling using the 450k methylome array in 5 gliosarcomas revealed CDKN2A homozygous deletion (3 cases), trisomy chromosome 7 (2 cases), and monosomy chromosome 10 (2 cases). Giant cell glioblastomas had LOH 10q in 50% and LOH 19q in 42% of cases. ATRX loss was detected immunohistochemically in 19% of giant cell glioblastomas, but absent in 17 gliosarcomas. These and previous results suggest that gliosarcomas are a variant of, and genetically similar to, primary glioblastomas, except for a lack of EGFR amplification, while giant cell glioblastoma occupies a hybrid position between primary and secondary glioblastomas. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

The 2007 WHO Classification of Tumours of the Central Nervous System

The fourth edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumours of the central nervous system, published in 2007, lists several new entities, including angiocentric glioma, papillary glioneuronal tumour, rosette-forming glioneuronal tumour of the fourth ventricle, papillary tumour of the pineal region, pituicytoma and spindle cell oncocytoma of the adenohypophysis. Histological variants were added if there was evidence of a different age distribution, location, genetic profile or clinical behaviour; these included pilomyxoid astrocytoma, anaplastic medulloblastoma and medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity. The WHO grading scheme and the sections on genetic profiles were updated and the rhabdoid tumour predisposition syndrome was added to the list of familial tumour syndromes typically involving the nervous system. As in the previous, 2000 edition of the WHO ‘Blue Book’, the classification is accompanied by a concise commentary on clinico-pathological characteristics of each tumour type. The 2007 WHO classification is based on the consensus of an international Working Group of 25 pathologists and geneticists, as well as contributions from more than 70 international experts overall, and is presented as the standard for the definition of brain tumours to the clinical oncology and cancer research communities world-wide

Alterations of BCCIP, a BRCA2 interacting protein, in astrocytomas

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Loss of heterozygosity of chromosome 10q26 has been shown to be associated with the aggressiveness of astrocytic tumors (or astrocytomas), but the responsible gene(s) residing in this region has not been fully identified. The <it>BCCIP </it>gene is located at chromosome 10q26. It encodes a BRCA2 and CDKN1A (p21) interacting protein. Previous studies have shown that down-regulation of BCCIP impairs recombinational DNA repair, G1/S cell cycle checkpoint, p53 trans-activation activity, cytokinesis, and chromosome stability, suggesting a potential role of <it>BCCIP </it>in cancer etiology. In this study, we investigated whether <it>BCCIP </it>is altered in astrocytomas.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Genomic DNA from 45 cases of grade IV astrocytic tumor (glioblastoma) tissues and 12 cases of normal tissues were analyzed by quantitative PCR. The BCCIP protein expression in 96 cases of grade II–IV astrocytic tumors was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). IHC staining of glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP), a marker for astrocytic cells, was used to identify cells of the astrocytic lineage.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that BCCIP protein is expressed in normal cells with positive staining of GFAP. However, BCCIP protein expression was not detectable in ~45% of all astrocytic tumors, and in > 60% in the grade IV glioblastoma. About 45% glioblastoma have significant (p < 0.01) reduction of <it>BCCIP </it>gene copy number when compared to normal DNA. Furthermore, the frequency of lacking BCCIP expression is associated with the aggressiveness of astrocytic tumors.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data implicate a role of BCCIP in astrocytic tumorigenesis, and lack of <it>BCCIP </it>may be used as a marker for astrocytomas.</p