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Christodoulidis G, Koumarelas KE, Kouliou MN, Thodou E, Samara M. Gastric Cancer in the Era of Epigenetics. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3381. [PMID: 38542354 PMCID: PMC10970362 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25063381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 11/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) remains a significant contributor to cancer-related mortality. Novel high-throughput techniques have enlightened the epigenetic mechanisms governing gene-expression regulation. Epigenetic characteristics contribute to molecular taxonomy and give rise to cancer-specific epigenetic patterns. Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection has an impact on aberrant DNA methylation either through its pathogenic CagA protein or by inducing chronic inflammation. The hypomethylation of specific repetitive elements generates an epigenetic field effect early in tumorigenesis. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection triggers DNA methylation by dysregulating DNA methyltransferases (DNMT) enzyme activity, while persistent Hp-EBV co-infection leads to aggressive tumor behavior. Distinct histone modifications are also responsible for oncogene upregulation and tumor-suppressor gene silencing in gastric carcinomas. While histone methylation and acetylation processes have been extensively studied, other less prevalent alterations contribute to the development and migration of gastric cancer via a complex network of interactions. Enzymes, such as Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), which is involved in tumor's metabolic reprogramming, interact with methyltransferases and modify gene expression. Non-coding RNA molecules, including long non-coding RNAs, circular RNAs, and miRNAs serve as epigenetic regulators contributing to GC development, metastasis, poor outcomes and therapy resistance. Serum RNA molecules hold the potential to serve as non-invasive biomarkers for diagnostic, prognostic or therapeutic applications. Gastric fluids represent a valuable source to identify potential biomarkers with diagnostic use in terms of liquid biopsy. Ongoing clinical trials are currently evaluating the efficacy of next-generation epigenetic drugs, displaying promising outcomes. Various approaches including multiple miRNA inhibitors or targeted nanoparticles carrying epigenetic drugs are being designed to enhance existing treatment efficacy and overcome treatment resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grigorios Christodoulidis
- Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Larissa, University of Thessaly, Biopolis Campus, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (G.C.); (K.-E.K.); (M.-N.K.)
| | - Konstantinos-Eleftherios Koumarelas
- Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Larissa, University of Thessaly, Biopolis Campus, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (G.C.); (K.-E.K.); (M.-N.K.)
| | - Marina-Nektaria Kouliou
- Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Larissa, University of Thessaly, Biopolis Campus, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (G.C.); (K.-E.K.); (M.-N.K.)
| | - Eleni Thodou
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Biopolis Campus, 41110 Larissa, Greece;
| | - Maria Samara
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Biopolis Campus, 41110 Larissa, Greece;
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Deng Y, Xu W, Ni M, Sun X, Wang X, Zhang T, Pan F. DNA methylation and expression of LGR6 gene in ankylosing spondylitis: A case-control study. Hum Immunol 2023; 84:110719. [PMID: 37802707 DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2023.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objectives of the present research were to ascertain the relationship of Leucine-Rich Repeat-Containing G-Protein Coupled Receptors 6 (LGR6) methylation and transcript levels with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS Targeted bisulfite sequencing was applied to analyze LGR6 DNA methylation in 81 AS cases and 81 controls. Besides, the LGR6 transcription level of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 70 AS cases and 64 controls was measured utilizing quantitative real-time transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS The study detected the methylation levels of 43 sites in two CpG (cytosine-guanine dinucleotide) islands of LGR6 and found that LGR6 were significantly hypomethylated in AS patients (LGR6_1: P = 0.002; LGR6_2: P < 0.001). LGR6 transcript level was obviously reduced in AS (P = 0.001) and was positively related to DNA methylation level (CpG-1: P = 0.010; CpG-2: P = 0.007). Besides, the Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) exhibited good diagnostic performance of LGR6 methylation level (AUC = 0.676, 95% CI = 0.594-0.758, P < 0.001). Further subgroup analysis revealed that gender may affect the LGR6_1 methylation pattern. CONCLUSION The present study revealed that LGR6 DNA methylation dysregulation may be involved in the pathogenesis of AS from an epigenetic perspective for the first time, with the aim of providing new directions for biomarker identification and treatment development for AS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Deng
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; The Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; The Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Man Ni
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; The Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Xiaoya Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; The Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Xinqi Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; The Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; The Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Faming Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; The Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China.
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Lin F, Huang J, Zhu W, Jiang T, Guo J, Xia W, Chen M, Guo L, Deng W, Lin H. Prognostic value and immune landscapes of TERT promoter methylation in triple negative breast cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1218987. [PMID: 37575241 PMCID: PMC10416624 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1218987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Treatment options for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remain limited to mainstay therapies owing to a lack of efficacious therapeutic targets. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to discover and identify novel molecular targets for the treatment and diagnosis of this disease. In this study, we analyzed the correlation of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) methylation status with TERT expression, prognosis, and immune infiltration in TNBC and identified the role of TERT methylation in the regulation TNBC prognosis and immunotherapy. Methods Data relating to the transcriptome, clinicopathological characteristics and methylation of TNBC patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. TERT expression levels and differential methylation sites (DMSs) were detected. The correlations between TERT expression and DMSs were calculated. Kaplan-Meier curves was plotted to analyze the relationship between the survival of TNBC patients and the DMSs. The correlations of DMSs and TERT expression with several immunological characteristics of immune microenvironment (immune cell infiltration, immunomodulators, immune-related biological pathways, and immune checkpoints) were assessed. The results were validated using 40 TNBC patients from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC). Results Six DMSs were identified. Among them, four sites (cg11625005, cg07380026, cg17166338, and cg26006951) were within the TERT promoter, in which two sites (cg07380026 and cg26006951) were significantly related to the prognosis of patients with TNBC. Further validation using 40 TNBC samples from SYSUCC showed that the high methylation of the cg26006951 CpG site was associated with poor survival prognosis (P=0.0022). TERT expression was significantly correlated with pathological N stage and clinical stage, and cg07380026 were significantly associated with pathological T and N stages in the TCGA cohort. Moreover, the methylation site cg26006951, cg07380026 and TERT expression were significantly correlated with immune cell infiltration, common immunomodulators, and the level of the immune checkpoint receptor lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3) in TNBC patients. Conclusion TERT promotertypermethylation plays an important role in TERT expression regulation and tumor microenvironment in TNBC. It is associated with overall survival and LAG-3 expression. TERT promoter hypermethylation may be a potential molecular biomarker for predicting response to the TERT inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ling Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wuguo Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huanxin Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
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Feng J, Tang X, Song L, Zhou Z, Jiang Y, Huang Y. A telomerase regulation-related lncRNA signature predicts prognosis and immunotherapy response for gastric cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:135-146. [PMID: 36333566 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-022-04456-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telomeres are involved in the development and progression of gastric cancer (GC). However, the association of telomerase regulation-related lncRNAs with prognosis and immunotherapy responsiveness in gastric cancer is unclear. METHODS This study systematically evaluated the relationship between lncRNAs co-expressed with 67 telomerase regulatory genes and gastric cancer prognosis. The risk scores of the samples were calculated based on telomerase regulation-related lncRNAs with prognostic value, and the samples were classified into high-/low-risk groups. The prognostic value of risk groups was then evaluated, a GC prognostic prediction model based on risk groups and clinical characteristics was established, and the prediction accuracy of the model was clarified by receiving operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curves. Finally, the value of risk grouping in GC immunotherapy sensitivity was predicted by comparing MSI status and tumor mutation load between the high- and low-risk groups. RESULTS We identified 13 lncRNAs with prognostic value co-expressed with telomerase regulatory genes and observed that the prognosis of the low-risk group was significantly better than that of the high-risk group. Meanwhile, a GC overall survival (OS) prediction model based on risk grouping and clinical characteristics was developed, and ROC curves and calibration curves confirmed the good predictive ability of the model. In addition, the low-risk group exhibited a higher tumor mutation load and MSI-H, suggesting a possible benefit of immunotherapy. CONCLUSION We found that telomerase regulation-related lncRNAs have prognostic value in GC patients and contribute to the exploration of more effective immunotherapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinggao Feng
- Department of Gastrointestinal and Anorectal Surgery, The Central Hospital of Yongzhou, No. 151, Xiaoshui West Road, Lingling District, Yongzhou, 425100, Hunan Province, China.
| | - Xiayu Tang
- Department of Gastrointestinal and Anorectal Surgery, The Central Hospital of Yongzhou, No. 151, Xiaoshui West Road, Lingling District, Yongzhou, 425100, Hunan Province, China
| | - Liusong Song
- Department of Gastrointestinal and Anorectal Surgery, The Central Hospital of Yongzhou, No. 151, Xiaoshui West Road, Lingling District, Yongzhou, 425100, Hunan Province, China
| | - Zhipeng Zhou
- Department of Gastrointestinal and Anorectal Surgery, The Central Hospital of Yongzhou, No. 151, Xiaoshui West Road, Lingling District, Yongzhou, 425100, Hunan Province, China
| | - Yuan Jiang
- Department of Gastrointestinal and Anorectal Surgery, The Central Hospital of Yongzhou, No. 151, Xiaoshui West Road, Lingling District, Yongzhou, 425100, Hunan Province, China
| | - Yao Huang
- Department of Gastrointestinal and Anorectal Surgery, The Central Hospital of Yongzhou, No. 151, Xiaoshui West Road, Lingling District, Yongzhou, 425100, Hunan Province, China
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5
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Lee S, Chang TC, Schreiner P, Fan Y, Agarwal N, Owens C, Dummer R, Kirkwood JM, Barnhill RL, Theodorescu D, Wu G, Bahrami A. Targeted Long-Read Bisulfite Sequencing Identifies Differences in the TERT Promoter Methylation Profiles between TERT Wild-Type and TERT Mutant Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:4018. [PMID: 36011010 PMCID: PMC9406525 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14164018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: TERT promoter methylation, located several hundred base pairs upstream of the transcriptional start site, is cancer specific and correlates with increased TERT mRNA expression and poorer patient outcome. Promoter methylation, however, is not mutually exclusive to TERT activating genetic alterations, as predicted for functionally redundant mechanisms. To annotate the altered patterns of TERT promoter methylation and their relationship with gene expression, we applied a Pacific Biosciences-based, long-read, bisulfite-sequencing technology and compared the differences in the methylation marks between wild-type and mutant cancers in an allele-specific manner. Results: We cataloged TERT genetic alterations (i.e., promoter point mutations or structural variations), allele-specific promoter methylation patterns, and allele-specific expression levels in a cohort of 54 cancer cell lines. In heterozygous mutant cell lines, the mutant alleles were significantly less methylated than their silent, mutation-free alleles (p < 0.05). In wild-type cell lines, by contrast, both epialleles were equally methylated to high levels at the TERT distal promoter, but differentially methylated in the proximal regions. ChIP analysis showed that epialleles with the hypomethylated proximal and core promoter were enriched in the active histone mark H3K4me2/3, whereas epialleles that were methylated in those regions were enriched in the repressive histone mark H3K27me3. Decitabine therapy induced biallelic expression in the wild-type cancer cells, whereas the mutant cell lines were unaffected. Conclusions: Long-read bisulfite sequencing analysis revealed differences in the methylation profiles and responses to demethylating agents between TERT wild-type and genetically altered cancer cell lines. The causal relation between TERT promoter methylation and gene expression remains to be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungjae Lee
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Ti-Cheng Chang
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38015, USA
| | - Patrick Schreiner
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38015, USA
| | - Yiping Fan
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38015, USA
| | - Neeraj Agarwal
- Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Charles Owens
- Department of Surgery, University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - John M. Kirkwood
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | | | - Dan Theodorescu
- Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
- Department of Surgery (Urology), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Gang Wu
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38015, USA
| | - Armita Bahrami
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30307, USA
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Lee DD, Komosa M, Sudhaman S, Leão R, Zhang CH, Apolonio JD, Hermanns T, Wild PJ, Klocker H, Nassiri F, Zadeh G, Diplas BH, Yan H, Gallinger S, Pugh TJ, Ramaswamy V, Taylor MD, Castelo-Branco P, Nunes NM, Tabori U. Dual role of allele-specific DNA hypermethylation within the TERT promoter in cancer. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:146915. [PMID: 34720085 DOI: 10.1172/jci146915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant activation of telomerase in human cancer is achieved by various alterations within the TERT promoter, including cancer-specific DNA hypermethylation of the TERT hypermethylated oncological region (THOR). However, the impact of allele-specific DNA methylation within the TERT promoter on gene transcription remains incompletely understood. Using allele-specific next-generation sequencing, we screened a large cohort of normal and tumor tissues (n = 652) from 10 cancer types and identified that differential allelic methylation (DAM) of THOR is restricted to cancerous tissue and commonly observed in major cancer types. THOR-DAM was more common in adult cancers, which develop through multiple stages over time, than in childhood brain tumors. Furthermore, THOR-DAM was especially enriched in tumors harboring the activating TERT promoter mutations (TPMs). Functional studies revealed that allele-specific gene expression of TERT requires hypomethylation of the core promoter, both in TPM and TERT WT cancers. However, the expressing allele with hypomethylated core TERT promoter universally exhibits hypermethylation of THOR, while the nonexpressing alleles are either hypermethylated or hypomethylated throughout the promoter. Together, our findings suggest a dual role for allele-specific DNA methylation within the TERT promoter in the regulation of TERT expression in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghyun D Lee
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology and.,The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martin Komosa
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology and.,The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sumedha Sudhaman
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology and.,The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ricardo Leão
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Cindy H Zhang
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology and.,The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joana D Apolonio
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology and.,The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thomas Hermanns
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter J Wild
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Germany.,Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS), Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Helmut Klocker
- Department of Urology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Farshad Nassiri
- Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gelareh Zadeh
- Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bill H Diplas
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Hai Yan
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Steven Gallinger
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Trevor J Pugh
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vijay Ramaswamy
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael D Taylor
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pedro Castelo-Branco
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas (FMCB), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal.,Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Faro, Portugal.,Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal.,Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Nuno Miguel Nunes
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology and.,The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Uri Tabori
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology and.,The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Dogan F, Forsyth NR. Telomerase Regulation: A Role for Epigenetics. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13061213. [PMID: 33802026 PMCID: PMC8000866 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13061213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Maintenance of telomeres is a fundamental step in human carcinogenesis and is primarily regulated by telomerase and the human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene (TERT). Improved understanding of the transcriptional control of this gene may provide potential therapeutic targets. Epigenetic modifications are a prominent mechanism to control telomerase activity and regulation of the TERT gene. TERT-targeting miRNAs have been widely studied and their function explained through pre-clinical in vivo model-based validation studies. Further, histone deacetylase inhibitors are now in pre and early clinical trials with significant clinical success. Importantly, TERT downregulation through epigenetic modifications including TERT promoter methylation, histone deacetylase inhibitors, and miRNA activity might contribute to clinical study design. This review provides an overview of the epigenetic mechanisms involved in the regulation of TERT expression and telomerase activity. Abstract Telomerase was first described by Greider and Blackburn in 1984, a discovery ultimately recognized by the Nobel Prize committee in 2009. The three decades following on from its discovery have been accompanied by an increased understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of telomerase activity, and its role in telomere biology. Telomerase has a clearly defined role in telomere length maintenance and an established influence on DNA replication, differentiation, survival, development, apoptosis, tumorigenesis, and a further role in therapeutic resistance in human stem and cancer cells including those of breast and cervical origin. TERT encodes the catalytic subunit and rate-limiting factor for telomerase enzyme activity. The mechanisms of activation or silencing of TERT remain open to debate across somatic, cancer, and stem cells. Promoter mutations upstream of TERT may promote dysregulated telomerase activation in tumour cells but additional factors including epigenetic, transcriptional and posttranscriptional modifications also have a role to play. Previous systematic analysis indicated methylation and mutation of the TERT promoter in 53% and 31%, respectively, of TERT expressing cancer cell lines supporting the concept of a key role for epigenetic alteration associated with TERT dysregulation and cellular transformation. Epigenetic regulators including DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNAs are now emerging as drivers in the regulation of telomeres and telomerase activity. Epigenetic regulation may be responsible for reversible silencing of TERT in several biological processes including development and differentiation, and increased TERT expression in cancers. Understanding the epigenetic mechanisms behind telomerase regulation holds important prospects for cancer treatment, diagnosis and prognosis. This review will focus on the role of epigenetics in telomerase regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma Dogan
- The Guy Hilton Research Laboratories, School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Keele University, Stoke on Trent ST4 7QB, UK;
| | - Nicholas R. Forsyth
- The Guy Hilton Research Laboratories, School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Keele University, Stoke on Trent ST4 7QB, UK;
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Correspondence:
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8
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Vahidi S, Norollahi SE, Agah S, Samadani AA. DNA Methylation Profiling of hTERT Gene Alongside with the Telomere Performance in Gastric Adenocarcinoma. J Gastrointest Cancer 2020; 51:788-799. [PMID: 32617831 DOI: 10.1007/s12029-020-00427-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Epigenetic modification including of DNA methylation, histone acetylation, histone methylation, histon phosphorylation and non-coding RNA can impress the gene expression and genomic stability and cause different types of malignancies and also main human disorder. Conspicuously, the epigenetic alteration special DNA methylation controls telomere length, telomerase activity and also function of different genes particularly hTERT expression. Telomeres are important in increasing the lifespan, health, aging, and the development and progression of some diseases like cancer. METHODS This review provides an assessment of the epigenetic alterations of telomeres, telomerase and repression of its catalytic subunit, hTERT and function of long non-coding RNAs such as telomeric-repeat containing RNA (TERRA) in carcinogenesis and tumorgenesis of gastric cancer. RESULTS hTERT expression is essential and indispensable in telomerase activation through immortality and malignancies and also plays an important role in maintaining telomere length. Telomeres and telomerase have been implicated in regulating epigenetic factors influencing certain gene expression. Correspondingly, these changes in the sub telomere and telomere regions are affected by the shortening of telomere length and increased telomerase activity and hTERT gene expression have been observed in many cancers, remarkably in gastric cancer. CONCLUSION Epigenetic alteration and regulation of hTERT gene expression are critical in controlling telomerase activity and its expression. Graphical Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sogand Vahidi
- Clinical Research Development Unit of Poursina Hospital, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Seyedeh Elham Norollahi
- Clinical Research Development Unit of Poursina Hospital, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
| | - Shahram Agah
- Colorectal Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Samadani
- Healthy Ageing Research Center, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran.
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9
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DNA methylation of the TERT promoter and its impact on human cancer. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 60:17-24. [PMID: 32114294 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Telomere maintenance is a hallmark of human cancer that enables replicative immortality. Most cancer cells acquire telomere maintenance by telomerase activation through expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), a rate-limiting component of the telomerase holoenzyme. Although multiple cancer-specific genetic alterations such as gain of TERT copy number and recurrent TERT promoter mutations (TPM) have been identified, the majority of cancers still express TERT via unknown mechanisms. In the last decade, DNA methylation of the TERT promoter emerged as a putative epigenetic regulatory mechanism of telomerase activation in cancer. Here, we comparatively discuss studies that investigated the DNA methylation landscape of the TERT promoter. We further review the biological and clinical impacts of TERT promoter hypermethylation in cancer and provide insight into future applications of this phenomenon.
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10
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Xu H, Wang W, Zhao J, Li T, Kang X. Aberrant hTERT promoter methylation predicts prognosis in Chinese patients with acral and mucosal melanoma: A CONSORT-compliant article. Medicine (Baltimore) 2019; 98:e17578. [PMID: 31651862 PMCID: PMC6824684 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000017578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To evaluate the methylation levels of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter three CpG island (CGIs) regions and its prognostic impact in Chinese patients with acral and mucosal melanoma. METHODS Bioinformatics software was used to analyze hTERT gene promoter. Fresh frozen tissues were taken from 14 patients with melanoma (6 acral melanoma and 8 mucosal melanoma) and 14 pigmented nevus as control subjects (14 acral pigmented nevus). Bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) combined TA clone sequencing was used to assess the methylation levels of hTERT promoter CGIs regions. The relative expression level of hTERT mRNA was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS CGIs-1 (-1392--1098 bp), CGIs-2 (-945--669 bp), and CGIs-3 (-445--48 bp) were selected for our study. Our results indicated that the methylation levels of hTERT promotor CGIs regions in melanoma were greater than pigmented nevus (CGIs-1: 69.3 ± 18.7% vs 46.8 ± 20.4%, t = 3.048 P = .005; CGIs-2: 73.8 ± 14.7% vs 55.6 ± 16.0%, t = 3.120 P = .004; CGIs-3: 5.8 ± 2.2% vs 2.2 ± 1.3%, t = 5.164 P < .001). The relative expression level of hTERT in melanoma was greater than in pigmented nevus (50.39 ± 9.16 vs 26.10 ± 7.25, t = 7.778, P < .001). Linear regression analysis showed that the methylation level of CGIs-2 in melanoma was positively correlated with the relative expression level of hTERT mRNA (R = .490, F = 13.478, P = .003). Combined with the analysis of clinicopathological features, the methylation level of CGIs-2 in melanoma with lymph node metastasis was greater than in melanoma without lymph node metastasis, and the methylation level of CGIs-2 increased with TNM staging. CONCLUSION CGIs-2 methylation level was associated with the relative expression level of hTERT mRNA, lymph node metastasis and TNM staging, suggesting that CGIs-2 hypermethylation might be used to evaluate the prognosis in Chinese patients with acral and mucosal melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haixia Xu
- Xinjiang Clinical College, Anhui Medical University
- Department of Dermatology, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Weijia Wang
- Department of Dermatology, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Juan Zhao
- Department of Dermatology, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Tingting Li
- Department of Dermatology, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Xiaojing Kang
- Xinjiang Clinical College, Anhui Medical University
- Department of Dermatology, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
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11
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Lee DD, Leão R, Komosa M, Gallo M, Zhang CH, Lipman T, Remke M, Heidari A, Nunes NM, Apolónio JD, Price AJ, De Mello RA, Dias JS, Huntsman D, Hermanns T, Wild PJ, Vanner R, Zadeh G, Karamchandani J, Das S, Taylor MD, Hawkins CE, Wasserman JD, Figueiredo A, Hamilton RJ, Minden MD, Wani K, Diplas B, Yan H, Aldape K, Akbari MR, Danesh A, Pugh TJ, Dirks PB, Castelo-Branco P, Tabori U. DNA hypermethylation within TERT promoter upregulates TERT expression in cancer. J Clin Invest 2019; 129:223-229. [PMID: 30932912 PMCID: PMC6307937 DOI: 10.1172/jci121303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Replicative immortality is a hallmark of cancer cells governed by telomere maintenance. Approximately 90% of human cancers maintain their telomeres by activating telomerase, driven by the transcriptional upregulation of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). Although TERT promoter mutations (TPMs) are a major cancer-associated genetic mechanism of TERT upregulation, many cancers exhibit TERT upregulation without TPMs. In this study, we describe the TERT hypermethylated oncological region (THOR), a 433-bp genomic region encompassing 52 CpG sites located immediately upstream of the TERT core promoter, as a cancer-associated epigenetic mechanism of TERT upregulation. Unmethylated THOR repressed TERT promoter activity regardless of TPM status, and hypermethylation of THOR counteracted this repressive function. THOR methylation analysis in 1,352 human tumors revealed frequent (>45%) cancer-associated DNA hypermethylation in 9 of 11 (82%) tumor types screened. Additionally, THOR hypermethylation, either independently or along with TPMs, accounted for how approximately 90% of human cancers can aberrantly activate telomerase. Thus, we propose that THOR hypermethylation is a prevalent telomerase-activating mechanism in cancer that can act independently of or in conjunction with TPMs, further supporting the utility of THOR hypermethylation as a prognostic biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghyun D. Lee
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, and
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ricardo Leão
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Martin Komosa
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, and
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marco Gallo
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Cindy H. Zhang
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, and
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tatiana Lipman
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, and
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marc Remke
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology, and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Abolfazl Heidari
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, and
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nuno Miguel Nunes
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, and
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joana D. Apolónio
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, and
- Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Aryeh J. Price
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - João S. Dias
- Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - David Huntsman
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Peter J. Wild
- Institute of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Robert Vanner
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gelareh Zadeh
- Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jason Karamchandani
- Department of Pathology, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sunit Das
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael D. Taylor
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cynthia E. Hawkins
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | - Robert J. Hamilton
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark D. Minden
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Khalida Wani
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Bill Diplas
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Hai Yan
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kenneth Aldape
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mohammad R. Akbari
- Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Women’s College Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Arnavaz Danesh
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Trevor J. Pugh
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter B. Dirks
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Uri Tabori
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, and
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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12
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Sobecka A, Blaszczak W, Barczak W, Golusinski P, Rubis B, Masternak MM, Suchorska WM, Golusinski W. hTERT promoter methylation status in peripheral blood leukocytes as a molecular marker of head and neck cancer progression. J Appl Genet 2018; 59:453-461. [PMID: 30088231 DOI: 10.1007/s13353-018-0458-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells, including head and neck cancer cell carcinoma (HNSCC), are characterized by an increased telomerase activity. This enzymatic complex is active in approximately 80-90% of all malignancies, and is regulated by various factors, including methylation status of hTERT gene promoter. hTERT methylation pattern has been thoroughly studied so far. It was proved that hTERT is aberrantly methylated in tumor tissue versus healthy counterparts. However, such effect has not yet been investigated in PBLs (peripheral blood leukocytes) of cancer patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the hTERT gene promoter methylation status in blood leukocytes. DNA was extracted from PBL of 92 patients with histologically diagnosed HNSCC and 53 healthy controls. Methylation status of whole hTERT promoter fragment with independent analysis of each 19 CpG sites was performed using bisulfide conversion technique followed by sequencing of PCR products. Not significant (p = 0.0532) differences in the general frequency of hTERT CpG sites methylation were detected between patients and healthy controls. However, it was discovered that some of analyzed positions (CpG islands: 1 [p = 0.0235], 5 [p = 0.0462], 8 [p = 0.0343]) are significantly more often methylated in HNSCC patients than in controls. The opposite finding was observed in case of CpG position 2 (p = 0.0210). Furthermore, closer analysis of single CpG positions revealed differences in methylation status dependent on anatomical site and TNM classification. To conclude, hTERT promoter methylation status (general or single CpG sites) would be considered as a molecular markers of HNSCC diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Sobecka
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Garbary 15 Str, 61-866, Poznan, Poland
- Radiobiology Laboratory, The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Garbary 15 Str, 61-866, Poznan, Poland
| | - Wiktoria Blaszczak
- Radiobiology Laboratory, The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Garbary 15 Str, 61-866, Poznan, Poland
| | - Wojciech Barczak
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Garbary 15 Str, 61-866, Poznan, Poland.
- Radiobiology Laboratory, The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Garbary 15 Str, 61-866, Poznan, Poland.
| | - Pawel Golusinski
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Garbary 15 Str, 61-866, Poznan, Poland
- Head and Neck Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Environmental Studies, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Blazej Rubis
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Przybyszewskiego 49 Str, 60-355, Poznan, Poland
| | - Michal M Masternak
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Garbary 15 Str, 61-866, Poznan, Poland
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, 6900 Lake Nona Blvd, Orlando, FL, 32827, USA
| | - Wiktoria M Suchorska
- Radiobiology Laboratory, The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Garbary 15 Str, 61-866, Poznan, Poland
- Department of Electroradiology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Garbary 15 Str, 61-866, Poznan, Poland
| | - Wojciech Golusinski
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Garbary 15 Str, 61-866, Poznan, Poland
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13
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Guo LQ, Chen Y, Teng XL, Xia WB, Xu J, Qu YK. TERT expression in gastric carcinogenesis: Correlation with clinical features. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2018; 26:979-985. [DOI: 10.11569/wcjd.v26.i16.979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To investigate the expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) mRNA in gastric cancer and precancerous lesions, and to analyze the relationship between TERT expression and clinicopathologic features and prognosis in gastric cancer.
METHODS From September 2011 to October 2016, 102 patients with gastric cancer, 32 patients with precancerous lesions, and 30 patients with chronic non-atrophic gastritis were treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamus University. The expression of TERT mRNA in tissues was detected by real-time quantitative PCR, and the correlation of expression of TERT with clinicopathologic features and prognosis in gastric cancer was analyzed.
RESULTS The expression of TERT in gastric cancer and precancerous lesions was significantly higher than that in chronic non-atrophic gastritis (P < 0.05). TERT expression was significantly correlated with the depth of invasion, TNM stage, vascular invasion, and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). The overall survival rate of gastric cancer patients with high expression of TERT was significantly lower than that of patients with low expression of TERT (HR = 0.420, 95%CI: 0.264-0.668, P < 0.001). The progression-free survival rate of gastric cancer patients with high expression of TERT was also significantly lower than that of patients with low TERT expression (HR = 0.649, 95%CI: 0.421-0.999, P = 0.049). Cox multivariate survival analysis showed that TERT expression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in gastric cancer.
CONCLUSION TERT is highly expressed in gastric cancer and precancerous lesions, and high expression of TERT is significantly associated with the clinicopathologic features and prognosis of gastric cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Qi Guo
- the Second Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamus University, Jiamus 154003, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Ying Chen
- the Second Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamus University, Jiamus 154003, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Xin-Li Teng
- the Second Department of radiology, the Oncology Hospital of Jiamus, Jiamus 154007, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Wei-Bin Xia
- the Second Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamus University, Jiamus 154003, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Jian Xu
- the Second Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamus University, Jiamus 154003, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Yi-Kun Qu
- the Second Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamus University, Jiamus 154003, Heilongjiang Province, China
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14
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Deng J, Zhang J, Wang C, Wei Q, Zhou D, Zhao K. Methylation and expression of PTPN22 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Oncotarget 2018; 7:64043-64052. [PMID: 27613842 PMCID: PMC5325424 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a fatal disease contributed by both genetic and epigenetic factors. The epigenetic alteration of protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) and its clinical significance in ESCC were still not yet clarified. A quantitative methylation study of PTPN22 and its expression were conducted in 121 and 31 paired tumor and adjacent normal tissue (ANT), respectively. Moreover, the association between PTPN22 methylation and clinicopathological parameters was evaluated. We found that the methylation level of PTPN22 was significantly elevated in tumor tissues (66.3%) relative to ANT (62.1%) (p=0.005). The methylation level of non-smoking ANT (59.1%) was significant lower than smoking ESCC tissue (65.8%) (p=0.03); similarly, the methylation levels in ANT with no lymph node invasion (57.6%) were significant lower than tumor tissues with lymph node invasion (67.5%) (p=0.001). PTPN22 expression in ESCC was lower than normal tissues, however the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.55). Lower expression was more frequently occurred in N1-3 and III stage patients, while higher expression was more likely to occur in N0 and I-II stage patients. Lower expression of PTPN22 was associated with poor overall survival (p=0.04). Taken together, PTPN22 was hypermethylationed in ESCC. Hypermethylation was associated with lymph node invasion. The PTPN22 expression may act as a prognostic biomarker to identify patients at risk of high grade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Deng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Junhua Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Chunyu Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Qing Wei
- Department of Pathology, Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Daizhan Zhou
- Bio-X Center, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Kuaile Zhao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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15
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Haraguchi K, Yada N, Sato S, Habu M, Hayakawa M, Takahashi O, Sasaguri M, Takenaka S, Yoshioka I, Matsuo K, Tominaga K. The methylation status and expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase is significantly high in oral carcinogenesis. APMIS 2017; 125:797-807. [PMID: 28766760 DOI: 10.1111/apm.12723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Telomerase activity is present in most cancers and is tightly regulated by the expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). Hypermethylation in the promoter region of hTERT contributes to the regulation of hTERT expression. In this study, we investigated the methylation and expression of hTERT in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), oral leukoplakia, and normal oral mucosa. Furthermore, we investigated the significance of hTERT to the clinicopathological findings of OSCC. 35 OSCC, 50 oral leukoplakia (epithelial dysplasia n = 25, squamous cell hyperplasia n = 25), and 10 normal oral mucosa samples were investigated through methylation-specific PCR. Immunohistochemistry was analyzed in 35 OSCC, 50 oral leukoplakia, and 4 normal oral mucosa samples. The methylation and expression of hTERT increased from normal oral mucosa to oral leukoplakia to OSCC. In OSCC, all samples were methylated. However, partial methylation (20%) or unmethylation (80%), but never complete methylation, was observed in normal oral mucosa. Additionally, hTERT expression correlated with cervical lymph node metastasis. These results suggested that the methylation and expression of hTERT is high in oral carcinogenesis and may play an important role in oral cancer. hTERT expression may also be predictive of cervical lymph node metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuya Haraguchi
- Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Science of Physical Functions, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Naomi Yada
- Division of Oral Pathology, Department of Health Promotion, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Shinobu Sato
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Research Center for Bio-microsensing Technology, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Manabu Habu
- Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Science of Physical Functions, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Mana Hayakawa
- Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Science of Physical Functions, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Osamu Takahashi
- Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Science of Physical Functions, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Masaaki Sasaguri
- Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Science of Physical Functions, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Shigeori Takenaka
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Research Center for Bio-microsensing Technology, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Izumi Yoshioka
- Division of Oral Medicine, Department of Science of Physical Functions, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Kou Matsuo
- Division of Oral Pathology, Department of Health Promotion, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Tominaga
- Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Science of Physical Functions, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan
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16
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Lee S, Borah S, Bahrami A. Detection of Aberrant TERT Promoter Methylation by Combined Bisulfite Restriction Enzyme Analysis for Cancer Diagnosis. J Mol Diagn 2017; 19:378-386. [PMID: 28284778 PMCID: PMC5417004 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2017.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant CpG dinucleotide methylation in a specific region of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter is associated with increased TERT mRNA levels and malignancy in several cancer types. However, routine screening of this region to aid cancer diagnosis can be challenging because i) several established methylation assays may inaccurately report on hypermethylation of this particular region, ii) interpreting the results of methylation assays can sometimes be difficult for clinical laboratories, and iii) use of high-throughput methylation assays for a few patient samples can be cost prohibitive. Herein, we describe the use of combined bisulfite restriction enzyme analysis (COBRA) as a diagnostic tool for detecting the hypermethylated TERT promoter using in vitro methylated and unmethylated genomic DNA as well as genomic DNA from four melanomas and two benign melanocytic lesions. We compare COBRA with MassARRAY, a more commonly used high-throughput approach, in screening for promoter hypermethylation in 28 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded neuroblastoma samples. COBRA sensitively and specifically detected samples with hypermethylated TERT promoter and was as effective as MassARRAY at differentiating high-risk from benign or low-risk tumors. This study demonstrates the utility of this low-cost, technically straightforward, and easily interpretable assay for cancer diagnosis in tumors of an ambiguous nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungjae Lee
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Sumit Borah
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Armita Bahrami
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.
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17
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Haraguchi K, Sato S, Habu M, Yada N, Hayakawa M, Takahashi O, Yoshioka I, Matsuo K, Tominaga K, Takenaka S. Oral Cancer Screening Based on Methylation Frequency Detection inhTERTGene Using Electrochemical Hybridization Assay via a Multi-electrode Chip Coupled with Ferrocenylnaphthalene Diimide. ELECTROANAL 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/elan.201700028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuya Haraguchi
- Department of Science of Physical Functions; Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Kyushu Dental University; 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakitaku, Kitakyushu Fukuoka 803-8580 Japan
| | - Shinobu Sato
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Research Center for Bio-microsensing Technology; Kyushu Institute of Technology; 1-1 Sensui, Tobataku, Kitakyushu Fukuoka 804-8550 Japan
| | - Manabu Habu
- Department of Science of Physical Functions; Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Kyushu Dental University; 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakitaku, Kitakyushu Fukuoka 803-8580 Japan
| | - Naomi Yada
- Department of Health Promotion, Division of Oral Pathology; Kyushu Dental University; 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakitaku, Kitakyushu Fukuoka 803-8580 Japan
| | - Mana Hayakawa
- Department of Science of Physical Functions; Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Kyushu Dental University; 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakitaku, Kitakyushu Fukuoka 803-8580 Japan
| | - Osamu Takahashi
- Department of Science of Physical Functions; Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Kyushu Dental University; 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakitaku, Kitakyushu Fukuoka 803-8580 Japan
| | - Izumi Yoshioka
- Department of Science of Physical Functions, Division of Oral Medicine; Kyushu Dental University; 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakitaku, Kitakyushu Fukuoka 803-8580 Japan
| | - Kou Matsuo
- Department of Health Promotion, Division of Oral Pathology; Kyushu Dental University; 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakitaku, Kitakyushu Fukuoka 803-8580 Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Tominaga
- Department of Science of Physical Functions; Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Kyushu Dental University; 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakitaku, Kitakyushu Fukuoka 803-8580 Japan
| | - Shigeori Takenaka
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Research Center for Bio-microsensing Technology; Kyushu Institute of Technology; 1-1 Sensui, Tobataku, Kitakyushu Fukuoka 804-8550 Japan
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