Hajime Kanauchi1, Nobuyuki Wada, Orlo H Clark, Quan-Yang Duh. 1. Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco/Mount Zion Medical Center, 1600 Divisadero Street, Room 437, San Francisco, CA 94143-1674, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Apoptosis-suppressing gene, bcl-2, and apoptosis-inducing gene, bax, are expressed in various tumors. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression is increased in many cancers. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether bcl-2 or bax gene expression differs between benign and malignant adrenal tumors, and whether hTERT gene expression correlates with the prognosis of patients with adrenal cancer. METHODS: Expression of bcl-2 and bax from 52 adrenal surgical specimens was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Expression of hTERT was analyzed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and expressed using the delta-delta threshold cycle method. RESULTS: All normal adrenal tissues (n = 7) and benign adrenal tumors (n = 41) expressed bcl-2 and bax, whereas all adrenocortical cancers (n = 4) expressed bcl-2 but not bax. Expression of hTERT was increased in adrenocortical cancers compared with that in normal tissues (P <.05), cortical adenomas (n = 17) (P <.05), cortical hyperplasias (n = 4) (P <.05), and pheochromocytomas (n = 20) (P <.05). The one patient with an adrenocortical cancer without increased hTERT expression is alive with distant metastasis 5 years after adrenalectomy. The other 3 patients with adrenocortical cancer died 5 to 24 months after adrenalectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Expression of bax gene appears to distinguish adrenal cancer from benign adrenal tumors. Gene expression of hTERT should be investigated as a prognostic marker in adrenal cortical cancers.
BACKGROUND: Apoptosis-suppressing gene, bcl-2, and apoptosis-inducing gene, bax, are expressed in various tumors. Humantelomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression is increased in many cancers. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether bcl-2 or bax gene expression differs between benign and malignant adrenal tumors, and whether hTERT gene expression correlates with the prognosis of patients with adrenal cancer. METHODS: Expression of bcl-2 and bax from 52 adrenal surgical specimens was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Expression of hTERT was analyzed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and expressed using the delta-delta threshold cycle method. RESULTS: All normal adrenal tissues (n = 7) and benign adrenal tumors (n = 41) expressed bcl-2 and bax, whereas all adrenocortical cancers (n = 4) expressed bcl-2 but not bax. Expression of hTERT was increased in adrenocortical cancers compared with that in normal tissues (P <.05), cortical adenomas (n = 17) (P <.05), cortical hyperplasias (n = 4) (P <.05), and pheochromocytomas (n = 20) (P <.05). The one patient with an adrenocortical cancer without increased hTERT expression is alive with distant metastasis 5 years after adrenalectomy. The other 3 patients with adrenocortical cancer died 5 to 24 months after adrenalectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Expression of bax gene appears to distinguish adrenal cancer from benign adrenal tumors. Gene expression of hTERT should be investigated as a prognostic marker in adrenal cortical cancers.
Authors: Hao Xie; Jun Yin; Manisha H Shah; Michael E Menefee; Keith C Bible; Diane Reidy-Lagunes; Madeleine A Kane; David I Quinn; David R Gandara; Charles Erlichman; Alex A Adjei Journal: Invest New Drugs Date: 2019-06-06 Impact factor: 3.850