Lack of DMBT1 expression in oesophageal, gastric and colon cancers

• Published in: British journal of cancer Vol. 79; no. 2; pp. 211 - 213
• Main Authors: MORI, M, SHIRAISHI, T, TANAKA, S, YAMAGATA, M, MAFUNE, K, TANAKA, Y, UEO, H, BARNARD, G. F, SUGIMACHI, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01-01-1999
• Subjects: Agglutinins; Biological and medical sciences; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 10 - genetics; Colorectal Neoplasms - genetics; Esophageal Neoplasms - genetics; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms - genetics; Genes, Tumor Suppressor; Humans; Medical sciences; Neoplasm Proteins - genetics; Neoplasm Proteins - metabolism; Receptors, Cell Surface - genetics; Receptors, Cell Surface - metabolism; Regular; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Stomach Neoplasms - genetics; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Tumors; Human; Stomach; Carcinoma; Esophageal disease; Reverse transcription; Malignant tumor; Gene expression; Carcinogenesis; Esophagus; Colonic disease; Polymerase chain reaction; C-Onc gene; Chromosome 10; Digestive diseases; Colon; Molecular biology; Protooncogene; Gastric disease; Tumor suppressor gene
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6690035

Loss of sequences from human chromosome 10q has been reported in several different cancers. Recently, a second candidate tumour-suppressor gene, DMBT1, was identified in this chromosomal region. We studied the mRNA expression and homozygous deletion of this gene in human oesophageal, gastric and colon cancers. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification demonstrated that 23 (53.5%) of 43 oesophageal, 5 (12.5%) of 40 gastric, and 4 (16.7%) of 24 colorectal cancer cases showed an apparent reduction in DMBT1 mRNA in tumour tissues compared with paired normal tissues. Twelve out of 15 oesophageal cancer cell lines also showed no expression. We next studied homozygous deletions within the DMBT1 gene in oesophageal cancers by using duplex PCR. Consequently, it was recognized in five (11.6%) of the primary tumours and two (13.3%) of the cell lines. These findings suggest that DMBT1 may act as a tumour-suppressor gene not only in brain tumours but also in gastrointestinal cancers, especially in oesophageal cancers.