Jeong-Ah Kwon1,2, Mi-So Jeong1, Se-Lyun Yoon1, Jeong-Yeon Mun1, Min-Hye Kim1, Gi-Eun Yang1, Seong-Hwan Park1, Jin-Woong Chung1, Yung Hyun Choi3, Hee-Jae Cha4, Sun-Hee Leem5. 1. Department of Biology and Biomedical Science, Dong-A University, Busan, 49315, Korea. 2. DNA Analysis Section, Forensic Medicine Division, Busan Institute, National Forensic Service, Yangsan, 50612, Korea. 3. Department of Biochemistry, Dong-eui University College of Korean Medicine, Busan, 47227, Korea. 4. Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, 49267, Korea. 5. Department of Biology and Biomedical Science, Dong-A University, Busan, 49315, Korea. shleem@dau.ac.kr.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: hTERT contains a high density of minisatellites, of which rare alleles of hTERT-VNTR2-2nd have been reported to be associated with prostate cancer. This shows an association between VNTR and cancer, but this repeat sequence is likely to be associated with genomic instability. Therefore, we investigated the effects of hTERT-VNTR2-2nd on gastrointestinal cancer and the relationship between repeated sequence and chromosome instability. METHODS: A case-control study was performed using DNA from 818 cancer-free controls, 539 cases with gastric cancer, 275 cases with colon cancer and 274 cases with rectal cancer. To determine whether minisatellites affect gene expression, expression levels were examined using TERT-reporter vectors in cell lines. In addition, the length of the hTERT-VNTR2-2nd alleles were determined in blood and cancer tissues from 107 gastric cancers, 112 colon cancers and 76 rectal cancers patients to determine whether the repeat sequence was associated with genomic instability during cancer development. RESULTS: No statistically significant association between hTERT-VNTR2-2nd and risk of gastrointestinal cancer was detected. However, it has been shown that VNTRs inserted into the enhancer region can regulate the expression of TERT in gastrointestinal cancer cells. Moreover, hTERT-VNTR2-2nd was analyzed in matched blood and cancer tissue from patients with gastrointestinal cancer and in seven among 294 subjects, and hTERT-VNTR2-2nd was found to be rearranged. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that minisatellites are associated with genomic instability in cancer and that the hTERT-VNTRs region may increase hTERT expression in gastrointestinal cancer cells.
BACKGROUND:hTERT contains a high density of minisatellites, of which rare alleles of hTERT-VNTR2-2nd have been reported to be associated with prostate cancer. This shows an association between VNTR and cancer, but this repeat sequence is likely to be associated with genomic instability. Therefore, we investigated the effects of hTERT-VNTR2-2nd on gastrointestinal cancer and the relationship between repeated sequence and chromosome instability. METHODS: A case-control study was performed using DNA from 818 cancer-free controls, 539 cases with gastric cancer, 275 cases with colon cancer and 274 cases with rectal cancer. To determine whether minisatellites affect gene expression, expression levels were examined using TERT-reporter vectors in cell lines. In addition, the length of the hTERT-VNTR2-2nd alleles were determined in blood and cancer tissues from 107 gastric cancers, 112 colon cancers and 76 rectal cancerspatients to determine whether the repeat sequence was associated with genomic instability during cancer development. RESULTS: No statistically significant association between hTERT-VNTR2-2nd and risk of gastrointestinal cancer was detected. However, it has been shown that VNTRs inserted into the enhancer region can regulate the expression of TERT in gastrointestinal cancer cells. Moreover, hTERT-VNTR2-2nd was analyzed in matched blood and cancer tissue from patients with gastrointestinal cancer and in seven among 294 subjects, and hTERT-VNTR2-2nd was found to be rearranged. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that minisatellites are associated with genomic instability in cancer and that the hTERT-VNTRs region may increase hTERT expression in gastrointestinal cancer cells.
Authors: A Kilian; D D Bowtell; H E Abud; G R Hime; D J Venter; P K Keese; E L Duncan; R R Reddel; R A Jefferson Journal: Hum Mol Genet Date: 1997-11 Impact factor: 6.150