DNA copy number aberrations in breast cancer by array comparative genomic hybridization

The molecular mechanisms underlying reduced E-cadherin expression in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast: high throughput analysis of large cohorts

E-cadherin is a tumor suppressor gene in invasive lobular breast cancer. However, a proportion of high-grade ductal carcinoma shows reduced/loss of E-cadherin. In this study, we assessed the underlying mechanisms and molecular implications of E-cadherin loss in invasive ductal carcinoma. This study used large, well-characterized cohorts of early-stage breast cancer-evaluated E-cadherin expression via various platforms including immunohistochemistry, microarray analysis using Illumina HT-12 v3, copy number analysis using Affymetrix SNP 6.0 arrays, and next-generation sequencing for differential gene expression. Our results showed 27% of high-grade invasive ductal carcinoma showed reduced/loss of E-cadherin membranous expression. CDH1 copy number loss was in 21% of invasive ductal carcinoma, which also showed low CDH1 mRNA expression (p = 0.003). CDH1 copy number was associated with copy number loss of TP53, ATM, BRCA1, and BRCA2 (p < 0.001). Seventy-nine percent of invasive ductal carcinoma with reduced CDH1 mRNA expression showed elevated expression of E-cadherin transcription suppressors TWIST2, ZEB2, NFKB1, LLGL2, CTNNB1 (p < 0.01). Reduced/loss E-cadherin expression was associated with differential expression of 2143 genes including those regulating Wnt (FZD2, GNG5, HLTF, WNT2, and CER1) and PIK3-AKT (FGFR2, GNF5, GNGT1, IFNA17, and IGF1) signaling pathways. Interestingly, key genes differentially expressed between invasive lobular carcinoma and invasive ductal tumors did not show association with E-cadherin loss in invasive ductal carcinoma. We conclude that E-cadherin loss in invasive ductal carcinoma is likely a consequence of genomic instability occurring during carcinogenesis. Potential novel regulators controlling E-cadherin expression in invasive ductal carcinoma warrant further investigation.

A genomic copy number signature predicts radiation exposure in post-Chernobyl breast cancer

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide and besides life style, age and genetic risk factors, exposure to ionizing radiation is known to increase the risk for breast cancer. Further, DNA copy number alterations (CNAs), which can result from radiation-induced double-strand breaks, are frequently occurring in breast cancer cells. We set out to identify a signature of CNAs discriminating breast cancers from radiation-exposed and non-exposed female patients. We analyzed resected breast cancer tissues from 68 exposed female Chernobyl clean-up workers and evacuees and 68 matched non-exposed control patients for CNAs by array comparative genomic hybridization analysis (aCGH). Using a stepwise forward-backward selection approach a non-complex CNA signature, that is, less than ten features, was identified in the training data set, which could be subsequently validated in the validation data set (p value < 0.05). The signature consisted of nine copy number regions located on chromosomal bands 7q11.22-11.23, 7q21.3, 16q24.3, 17q21.31, 20p11.23-11.21, 1p21.1, 2q35, 2q35, 6p22.2. The signature was independent of any clinical characteristics of the patients. In all, we identified a CNA signature that has the potential to allow identification of radiation-associated breast cancer at the individual level.

Genomic Changes in Normal Breast Tissue in Women at Normal Risk or at High Risk for Breast Cancer

Sporadic breast cancer develops through the accumulation of molecular abnormalities in normal breast tissue, resulting from exposure to estrogens and other carcinogens beginning at adolescence and continuing throughout life. These molecular changes may take a variety of forms, including numerical and structural chromosomal abnormalities, epigenetic changes, and gene expression alterations. To characterize these abnormalities, a review of the literature has been conducted to define the molecular changes in each of the above major genomic categories in normal breast tissue considered to be either at normal risk or at high risk for sporadic breast cancer. This review indicates that normal risk breast tissues (such as reduction mammoplasty) contain evidence of early breast carcinogenesis including loss of heterozygosity, DNA methylation of tumor suppressor and other genes, and telomere shortening. In normal tissues at high risk for breast cancer (such as normal breast tissue adjacent to breast cancer or the contralateral breast), these changes persist, and are increased and accompanied by aneuploidy, increased genomic instability, a wide range of gene expression differences, development of large cancerized fields, and increased proliferation. These changes are consistent with early and long-standing exposure to carcinogens, especially estrogens. A model for the breast carcinogenic pathway in normal risk and high-risk breast tissues is proposed. These findings should clarify our understanding of breast carcinogenesis in normal breast tissue and promote development of improved methods for risk assessment and breast cancer prevention in women.

Clinical and genetic characterization of basal cell carcinoma and breast cancer in a single patient

Introduction

Multiple environmental and genetic factors are involved with the development of basal cell carcinomas (BCC), as well as with breast cancers. Tumor initiation and progression are often associated with genomic instability such as aneuploidies, and gains or losses of large chromosomal segments, known as copy number alterations (CNAs). CNAs have been successfully detected using the microarray comparative genomic hybridization technique (array-CGH) at high resolution. Data thus obtained are useful to identify specific genomic aberrations, to classify tumor stages, and to stratify subgroups of patients with different prognosis and clinical behaviors.

Case description

Clinical study of a 66-year-old white female identified two primary tumors, a ductal invasive grade-II carcinoma of the breast, and one nodular BCC. Germline and tumor genomic survey utilized the 180 K array-CGH analysis to investigate chromosomal alterations.

Discussion and evaluation

Several chromosomal anomalies were detected in the breast tumor genome, including focal ~422 Kb 13q13.3 microdeletion. In the BCC, amplification of a chromosome 6 spanning the centromere region between the cytobands 6p23 and 6q12 was identified. Several 6p amplified genes correspond to families of histone and human leukocyte antigen genes, whereas some of the CNAs found in the breast tumor are uncommon. No germline CNA was detected in the normal skin of the patient at this technical resolution.

Conclusion

CNAs found in the two different tumors of the patient constitute independent events arisen in the somatic lineage. Relevant genes to both carcinogenesis and progression are to be affected by these CNAs.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2193-1801-3-454) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Functional analysis-make or break for cancer predictability

Copy number variations (CNVs) encompass a variety of genetic alterations including deletions and amplifications and cluster in regions of the human genome with intrinsic instability. Small-sized CNVs can act as initial genetic changes giving rise to larger CNVs such as acquired somatic copy number aberrations (CNAs) promoting cancer formation. Previous studies provided evidence for CNVs as an underlying cause of elevated breast cancer risk when targeting breast cancer susceptibility genes and of accelerated breast cancer progression when targeting oncogenes. With the development of novel techniques for genome-wide detection of CNVs at increasingly higher resolution, it became possible to qualitatively and quantitatively analyse manifestation of DNA damage resulting from defects in any of the large variety of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair mechanisms. Breast carcinogenesis, particularly in familial cases, has been linked with a defect in the homologous recombination (HR) pathway, which in turn switches damage removal towards alternative, more error-prone DSB repair pathways such as microhomology-mediated non-homologous end joining (mmNHEJ). Indeed, increased error-prone DSB repair activities were detected in peripheral blood lymphocytes from individuals with familial breast cancer risk independently of specific gene mutations. Intriguingly, sequence analysis of breakpoint regions revealed that the majority of genome aberrations found in breast cancer specimens are formed by mmNHEJ. Detection of pathway-specific error-prone DSB repair activities by functional testing was proposed to serve as biomarker for hereditary breast cancer risk and responsiveness to therapies targeting HR dysfunction. Identification of specific error-prone DSB repair mechanisms underlying CNAs and ultimately mammary tumour formation highlights potential targets for future breast cancer prevention regimens.

Genomic differences between estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and ER-negative human breast carcinoma identified by single nucleotide polymorphism array comparative genome hybridization analysis

BACKGROUND

Estrogen receptor (ER) remains one of the most important biomarkers for breast cancer subtyping and prognosis, and comparative genome hybridization has greatly contributed to the understanding of global genetic imbalance. The authors used single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays to compare overall copy number aberrations (CNAs) as well as loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of the entire human genome in ER-positive and ER-negative breast carcinomas.

METHODS

DNA was extracted from frozen tumor sections of 21 breast carcinoma specimens and analyzed with a proprietary 50K XbaI SNP array. Copy number and LOH probability values were derived for each sample. Data were analyzed using bioinformatics and computational software, and permutation tests were used to estimate the significance of these values.

RESULTS

There was a global increase in CNAs and LOH in ER-negative relative to ER-positive cancers. Gain of the long arm of chromosome 1 (1q) and 8q were the most obvious changes common in both subtypes: An increase in the chromosome 1 short arm (1p)/1q ratio was observed in ER-negative samples, and an increased 16p/16q ratio was observed in ER-positive samples. Significant CNAs (adjusted P<.05) in ER-negative relative to ER-positive tumors included 5q deletion, loss of 15q, and gain of 2p and 21q. Copy-neutral LOH (cnLOH) common to both ER-positive and ER-negative samples included 9p21, the p16 tumor suppressor locus, and 4q13, the RCHY1 (ring finger and CHY zinc finger domain-containing 1) oncogene locus. Of particular interest was an enrichment of 17q LOH among the ER-negative tumors, potentially suggesting breast cancer 1 gene (BRCA1) mutations.

CONCLUSIONS

SNP array detected both genetic imbalances and cnLOH and was capable of discriminating ER-negative breast cancer from ER-positive breast cancer.

Tumor heterogeneity in neoplasms of breast, colon, and skin

BACKGROUND

Different cell subpopulations in a single tumor may show diverse capacities for growth, differentiation, metastasis formation, and sensitivity to treatments. Thus, heterogeneity is an important feature of tumors. However, due to limitations in experimental and analytical techniques, tumor heterogeneity has rarely been studied in detail.

PRESENTATION OF THE HYPOTHESIS

Different tumor types have different heterogeneity patterns, thus heterogeneity could be a characteristic feature of a particular tumor type.

TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS

We applied our previously published mathematical heterogeneity model to decipher tumor heterogeneity through the analysis of genetic copy number aberrations revealed by array CGH data for tumors of three different tissues: breast, colon, and skin. The model estimates the number of subpopulations present in each tumor. The analysis confirms that different tumor types have different heterogeneity patterns. Computationally derived genomic copy number profiles from each subpopulation have also been analyzed and discussed with reference to the multiple hypothetical relationships between subpopulations in origin-related samples.

IMPLICATIONS OF THE HYPOTHESIS

Our observations imply that tumor heterogeneity could be seen as an independent parameter for determining the characteristics of tumors. In the context of more comprehensive usage of array CGH or genome sequencing in a clinical setting our study provides a new way to realize the full potential of tumor genetic analysis.

Automated extraction of DNA and RNA from a single formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue section for analysis of both single-nucleotide polymorphisms and mRNA expression

BACKGROUND

There is an increasing need for the identification of both DNA and RNA biomarkers from pathodiagnostic formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples for the exploration of individualized therapy strategies in cancer. We investigated a fully automated, xylene-free nucleic acid extraction method for the simultaneous analysis of RNA and DNA biomarkers related to breast cancer.

METHODS

We copurified both RNA and DNA from a single 10-μm section of 210 paired samples of FFPE tumor and adjacent normal tissues (1-25 years of archival time) using a fully automated extraction method. Half of the eluate was DNase I digested for mRNA expression analysis performed by using reverse-transcription quantitative PCR for the genes estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), progesterone receptor (PGR), v-erb-b2 erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog 2, neuro/glioblastoma derived oncogene homolog (avian) (ERBB2), epoxide hydrolase 1 (EPHX1), baculoviral IAP repeat-containing 5 (BIRC5), matrix metallopeptidase 7 (MMP7), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), and topoisomerase (DNA) II alpha 170kDa (TOP2A). The remaining undigested aliquot was used for the analysis of 7 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

In 208 of 210 samples (99.0%) the protocol yielded robust quantification-cycle values for both RNA and DNA normalization. Expression of the 8 breast cancer genes was detected in 81%-100% of tumor tissues and 21%-100% of normal tissues. The 7 SNPs were successfully genotyped in 91%-97% of tumor and 94%-97% of normal tissues. Allele concordance between tumor and normal tissue was 98.9%-99.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

This fully automated process allowed an efficient simultaneous extraction of both RNA and DNA from a single FFPE section and subsequent dual analysis of selected genes. High gene expression and genotyping detection rates demonstrate the feasibility of molecular profiling from limited archival patient samples.