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Wagener R, Walter C, Auer F, Alzoubi D, Hauer J, Fischer U, Varghese J, Dugas M, Borkhardt A, Brozou T. The CHK2 kinase is recurrently mutated and functionally impaired in the germline of pediatric cancer patients. Int J Cancer 2023; 152:1388-1398. [PMID: 36468172 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Predisposing CHEK2 germline variants are associated with various adult-type malignancies, whereas their impact on cancer susceptibility in childhood cancer is unclear. To understand the frequency of germline variants in the CHEK2 gene and their impact on pediatric malignancies, we used whole-exome sequencing to search for CHEK2 variants in the germlines of 418 children diagnosed with cancer in our clinics. Moreover, we performed functional analysis of the pathogenic CHEK2 variants to analyze the effect of the alterations on CHK2 protein function. We detected a CHEK2 germline variant in 32/418 (7.7%) pediatric cancer patients and 46.8% of them had leukemia. Functional analysis of the pathogenic variants revealed that 5 pathogenic variants impaired CHK2 protein function. 6/32 patients carried one of these clearly damaging CHEK2 variants and two of them harbored a matching family history of cancer. In conclusion, we detected germline CHEK2 variants in 7.7% of all pediatric cancer patients, of which a minority but still relevant fraction of approximately 20% had a profound impact on protein expression or its phosphorylation after irradiation-induced DNA damage. Accordingly, we conclude that CHEK2 variants increase the risk for not only adult-onset but also pediatric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rabea Wagener
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Carolin Walter
- Institute of Medical Informatics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Franziska Auer
- TUM School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Technical University of Munich, Munchen, Germany
| | - Deya Alzoubi
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Julia Hauer
- TUM School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Technical University of Munich, Munchen, Germany
| | - Ute Fischer
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Julian Varghese
- Institute of Medical Informatics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Martin Dugas
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Arndt Borkhardt
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Triantafyllia Brozou
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Li J, Kalev-Zylinska ML. Advances in molecular characterization of myeloid proliferations associated with Down syndrome. Front Genet 2022; 13:891214. [PMID: 36035173 PMCID: PMC9399805 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.891214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Myeloid leukemia associated with Down syndrome (ML-DS) has a unique molecular landscape that differs from other subtypes of acute myeloid leukemia. ML-DS is often preceded by a myeloproliferative neoplastic condition called transient abnormal myelopoiesis (TAM) that disrupts megakaryocytic and erythroid differentiation. Over the last two decades, many genetic and epigenetic changes in TAM and ML-DS have been elucidated. These include overexpression of molecules and micro-RNAs located on chromosome 21, GATA1 mutations, and a range of other somatic mutations and chromosomal alterations. In this review, we summarize molecular changes reported in TAM and ML-DS and provide a comprehensive discussion of these findings. Recent advances in the development of CRISPR/Cas9-modified induced pluripotent stem cell-based disease models are also highlighted. However, despite significant progress in this area, we still do not fully understand the pathogenesis of ML-DS, and there are no targeted therapies. Initial diagnosis of ML-DS has a favorable prognosis, but refractory and relapsed disease can be difficult to treat; therapeutic options are limited in Down syndrome children by their stronger sensitivity to the toxic effects of chemotherapy. Because of the rarity of TAM and ML-DS, large-scale multi-center studies would be helpful to advance molecular characterization of these diseases at different stages of development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixia Li
- Blood and Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Foshan University, Foshan, China
- *Correspondence: Jixia Li, ; Maggie L. Kalev-Zylinska,
| | - Maggie L. Kalev-Zylinska
- Blood and Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Haematology Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
- *Correspondence: Jixia Li, ; Maggie L. Kalev-Zylinska,
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Zeng C, Bastarache LA, Tao R, Venner E, Hebbring S, Andujar JD, Bland ST, Crosslin DR, Pratap S, Cooley A, Pacheco JA, Christensen KD, Perez E, Zawatsky CLB, Witkowski L, Zouk H, Weng C, Leppig KA, Sleiman PMA, Hakonarson H, Williams MS, Luo Y, Jarvik GP, Green RC, Chung WK, Gharavi AG, Lennon NJ, Rehm HL, Gibbs RA, Peterson JF, Roden DM, Wiesner GL, Denny JC. Association of Pathogenic Variants in Hereditary Cancer Genes With Multiple Diseases. JAMA Oncol 2022; 8:835-844. [PMID: 35446370 PMCID: PMC9026237 DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.0373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Importance Knowledge about the spectrum of diseases associated with hereditary cancer syndromes may improve disease diagnosis and management for patients and help to identify high-risk individuals. Objective To identify phenotypes associated with hereditary cancer genes through a phenome-wide association study. Design, Setting, and Participants This phenome-wide association study used health data from participants in 3 cohorts. The Electronic Medical Records and Genomics Sequencing (eMERGEseq) data set recruited predominantly healthy individuals from 10 US medical centers from July 16, 2016, through February 18, 2018, with a mean follow-up through electronic health records (EHRs) of 12.7 (7.4) years. The UK Biobank (UKB) cohort recruited participants from March 15, 2006, through August 1, 2010, with a mean (SD) follow-up of 12.4 (1.0) years. The Hereditary Cancer Registry (HCR) recruited patients undergoing clinical genetic testing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center from May 1, 2012, through December 31, 2019, with a mean (SD) follow-up through EHRs of 8.8 (6.5) years. Exposures Germline variants in 23 hereditary cancer genes. Pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants for each gene were aggregated for association analyses. Main Outcomes and Measures Phenotypes in the eMERGEseq and HCR cohorts were derived from the linked EHRs. Phenotypes in UKB were from multiple sources of health-related data. Results A total of 214 020 participants were identified, including 23 544 in eMERGEseq cohort (mean [SD] age, 47.8 [23.7] years; 12 611 women [53.6%]), 187 234 in the UKB cohort (mean [SD] age, 56.7 [8.1] years; 104 055 [55.6%] women), and 3242 in the HCR cohort (mean [SD] age, 52.5 [15.5] years; 2851 [87.9%] women). All 38 established gene-cancer associations were replicated, and 19 new associations were identified. These included the following 7 associations with neoplasms: CHEK2 with leukemia (odds ratio [OR], 3.81 [95% CI, 2.64-5.48]) and plasma cell neoplasms (OR, 3.12 [95% CI, 1.84-5.28]), ATM with gastric cancer (OR, 4.27 [95% CI, 2.35-7.44]) and pancreatic cancer (OR, 4.44 [95% CI, 2.66-7.40]), MUTYH (biallelic) with kidney cancer (OR, 32.28 [95% CI, 6.40-162.73]), MSH6 with bladder cancer (OR, 5.63 [95% CI, 2.75-11.49]), and APC with benign liver/intrahepatic bile duct tumors (OR, 52.01 [95% CI, 14.29-189.29]). The remaining 12 associations with nonneoplastic diseases included BRCA1/2 with ovarian cysts (OR, 3.15 [95% CI, 2.22-4.46] and 3.12 [95% CI, 2.36-4.12], respectively), MEN1 with acute pancreatitis (OR, 33.45 [95% CI, 9.25-121.02]), APC with gastritis and duodenitis (OR, 4.66 [95% CI, 2.61-8.33]), and PTEN with chronic gastritis (OR, 15.68 [95% CI, 6.01-40.92]). Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this genetic association study analyzing the EHRs of 3 large cohorts suggest that these new phenotypes associated with hereditary cancer genes may facilitate early detection and better management of cancers. This study highlights the potential benefits of using EHR data in genomic medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenjie Zeng
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lisa A Bastarache
- Center for Precision Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Ran Tao
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Eric Venner
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Scott Hebbring
- Center for Human Genetics, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, Wisconsin
| | - Justin D Andujar
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.,Clinical and Translational Hereditary Cancer Program, Division of Genetic Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Sarah T Bland
- Center for Precision Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - David R Crosslin
- Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle
| | - Siddharth Pratap
- School of Graduate Studies and Research, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Ayorinde Cooley
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Physiology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Jennifer A Pacheco
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Kurt D Christensen
- PRecisiOn Medicine Translational Research (PROMoTeR) Center, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Emma Perez
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Carrie L Blout Zawatsky
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Leora Witkowski
- Centre Universitaire de Santé McGill, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Hana Zouk
- Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, Partners Healthcare Personalized Medicine, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Chunhua Weng
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Kathleen A Leppig
- Genetic Services and Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Kaiser Permanente of Washington, Seattle
| | - Patrick M A Sleiman
- Center for Applied Genomics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia
| | - Hakon Hakonarson
- Center for Applied Genomics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia
| | - Marc S Williams
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Geisinger, Danville, Pennsylvania
| | - Yuan Luo
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Gail P Jarvik
- Department of Medicine (Medical Genetics), University of Washington, Seattle.,Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Robert C Green
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Broad Institute, Ariadne Labs and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Wendy K Chung
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, New York.,Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Ali G Gharavi
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York.,Center for Precision Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Niall J Lennon
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Heidi L Rehm
- Medical & Population Genetics Program and Genomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Cambridge, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.,Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Josh F Peterson
- Center for Precision Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Dan M Roden
- Center for Precision Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.,Divisions of Cardiovascular Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Georgia L Wiesner
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.,Clinical and Translational Hereditary Cancer Program, Division of Genetic Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Joshua C Denny
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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