EGFR exon 19 in-frame deletion and polymorphisms of DNA repair genes in never-smoking female lung adenocarcinoma patients

Association of hOGG1-Cys variants with occurrence of p53 and EGFR deletion mutations in non-small cell lung cancer

Background

The human 8‐oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) gene encodes a DNA glycosylase that removes 8‐hydroxy‐2‐deoxyguanine (8‐OH‐dG) DNA damage to protect against gene mutations. The association of hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism with lung cancer risk has predicted that hOGG1‐Cys variants are less effective at removing 8‐OH‐dG damage from DNA; therefore, these variants might show an increased occurrence of tumor suppressor gene and oncogene mutations. However, no evidence has yet supported this hypothesis.

Methods

Direct sequencing was performed to examine the mutations of p53 and EGFR genes in lung tumors from patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) was used to examine hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism in this study population.

Results

A total of 99 p53‐mutated and 99 EGFR‐mutated patients with NSCLC were selected to explore the possible associations of these mutations with hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism. The p53‐mutated and EGFR‐mutated patients were divided into nondeletion and deletion subgroups. P53 deletion mutations were more commonly observed in male than in female patients (P = 0.030). However, EGFR exon 19 deletion mutations were more prevalent in female and adenocarcinoma patients than in male and squamous cell carcinoma patients (P = 0.028 for genders, P = 0.017 for tumor histology). Interestingly, p53 and EGFR exon 19 deletion mutations were more frequent in patients with hOGG1 Ser/Cys + Cys/Cys hOGG1‐Cys variants than with the hOGG1 Ser/Ser genotype (P = 0.010 for p53, P = 0.032 for EGFR).

Conclusions

We suggest that the association of hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism with lung cancer risk could be partially explained by increases in p53 and EGFR deletion mutations.

Key points

Significant findings of the study

NSCLC patients with hOGG1‐Cys variants may have a higher risk of p53 and EGFR deletion mutations than with hOGG1 Ser/Ser genotype.

What this study adds

NSCLC patients with hOGG1‐Cys variants might be helpful to predict patients having higher risk of EGFR exon 19 deletion mutations and these patients who were treated with gefitinib or erlotinib could be a higher risk to occur EGFR T790M mutation.

NSCLC patients with hOGG1‐Cys variants may have higher risk of p53 and EGFR deletion mutations than with hOGG1 Ser/Ser genotype. NSCLC patients with hOGG1‐Cys variants might be helpful to predict patients with higher risk of EGFR exon 19 deletion mutations and these patients who were treated with gefitinib and erlotinib were more common to occur EGFR T790M mutation.

Association of EGFR mutations and HMGB1 genetic polymorphisms in lung adenocarcinoma patients

High-mobility group protein box 1 (HMGB1) is overexpressed and reported to be a prognostic factor in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutants play an important role in NSCLC progression. The aim of this study was to explore potential associations between genetic polymorphisms of HMGB1 and EGFR mutations in a cohort that included 280 patients with NSCLC, some of whom were smokers and others who never smoked. Four tagged single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of HMGB1 were detected by a TaqMan-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in patients. We found that after adjusting for other covariates, NSCLC patients who smoked and who respectively had CG, CT, and TC heterozygotes of HMGB1 rs2249825, rs1045411, and rs1360485, were at lower risk of developing mutant EGFR, compared to those patients with wild-type homozygotes. Moreover, significant inverse associations between the CG and CG + GG genotypes of HMGB1 rs2249825 and the EGFR hotspot mutation, an exon 19 in-frame deletion, were also observed among NSCLC patients. Within patients harboring mutant EGFR, HMGB1 rs1360485 C (TC + CC) allele carriers were at higher risk of developing poorly differentiated cancer types (odds ratio=5.493, 95% confidence interval: 1.130~26.696, p=0.019), compared to patients with TT homozygotes. Furthermore, we found that HMGB1 rs1360485 polymorphisms seemed to be related to susceptibility to developing poorly differentiated cancer linked to tobacco consumption in EGFR mutant patients. In conclusion, our results suggested that HMGB1 variants are significantly inversely associated with EGFR mutations among NSCLC patients who smoked. HMGB1 variants and tobacco consumption might contribute to the pathological development of NSCLC.

NQO1 C609T polymorphism and lung cancer susceptibility: Evidence from a comprehensive meta-analysis

A variety of case-control studies have been performed to assess the correlation between NQO1 C609T polymorphism and the risk of lung cancer, but an explicit consensus has not been reached. We conducted this updated meta-analysis to identify the function of NQO1 C609T polymorphism in lung cancer risk. All relevant literature was retrieved from the PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI, and WanFang databases before April 2017. A total of 37 studies (29 articles) with 8493 cases and 10,999 controls were included. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of relations. We found that the NQO1 C609T polymorphism did not correlate with the risk of lung cancer in the overall analysis. In addition, no statistical significance was observed in the analysis stratified based on ethnicity, control source, quality score, or smoking status. A significant association was found in the subgroup of small cell lung cancer risk. Despite some limitations, this meta-analysis indicates that the NQO1 C609T polymorphism may not be associated with lung cancer risk. However, more epidemiological studies of larger samples and more ethnicities are needed to confirm these results.

Whole genome and normalized mRNA sequencing reveal genetic status of TK6, WTK1, and NH32 human B-lymphoblastoid cell lines

Closely related TK6, WTK1, and NH32 human B-lymphoblastoid cell lines differ in their p53 functional status. These lines are used frequently in genotoxicity studies and in studies aimed at understanding the role of p53 in DNA repair. Despite their routine use, little is known about the genetic status of these cells. To provide insight into their genetic composition, we sequenced and analyzed the entire genome of TK6 cells, as well as the normalized transcriptomes of TK6, WTK1, and NH32 cells. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) identified 21,561 genes and 5.17×10(6) small variants. Within the small variants, 50.54% were naturally occurring single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 49.46% were mutations. The mutations were comprised of 92.97% single base-pair substitutions and 7.03% insertions or deletions (indels). The number of predicted genes, SNPs, and small mutations are similar to frequencies observed in the human population in general. Normalized mRNA-seq analysis identified the expression of transcripts bearing SNPs or mutations for TK6, WTK1, and NH32 as 2.88%, 2.04%, and 1.71%, respectively, and several of the variant transcripts identified appear to have important implications in genetic toxicology. These include a single base deletion mutation in the ferritin heavy chain gene (FTH1) resulting in a frame shift and protein truncation in TK6 that impairs iron metabolism. SNPs in the thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) gene (TPMT*3A SNP), and in the xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme, NADPH quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) gene (NQO1*2 SNP), are both associated with decreased enzyme activity. The clinically relevant TPMT*3A and NQO1*2 SNPs can make these cell lines useful in pharmacogenetic studies aimed at improving or tailoring drug treatment regimens that minimize toxicity and enhance efficacy.

Increased NQO1 but not c-MET and survivin expression in non-small cell lung carcinoma with KRAS mutations

Cigarette smoking is one of the most significant public health issues and the most common environmental cause of preventable cancer deaths worldwide. EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor)-targeted therapy has been used in the treatment of LC (lung cancer), mainly caused by the carcinogens in cigarette smoke, with variable success. Presence of mutations in the KRAS (Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog) driver oncogene may confer worse prognosis and resistance to treatment for reasons not fully understood. NQO1 (NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase), also known as DT-diaphorase, is a major regulator of oxidative stress and activator of mitomycins, compounds that have been targeted in over 600 pre-clinical trials for treatment of LC. We sequenced KRAS and investigated expression of NQO1 and five clinically relevant proteins (DNMT1, DNMT3a, ERK1/2, c-MET, and survivin) in 108 patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). NQO1, ERK1/2, DNMT1, and DNMT3a but not c-MET and survivin expression was significantly more frequent in patients with KRAS mutations than those without, suggesting the following: (1) oxidative stress may play an important role in the pathogenesis, worse prognosis, and resistance to treatment reported in NSCLC patients with KRAS mutations, (2) selecting patients based on their KRAS mutational status for future clinical trials may increase success rate, and (3) since oxidation of nucleotides also specifically induces transversion mutations, the high rate of KRAS transversions in lung cancer patients may partly be due to the increased oxidative stress in addition to the known carcinogens in cigarette smoke.

The significance of Exo1 K589E polymorphism on cancer susceptibility: evidence based on a meta-analysis

The exonuclease1 (Exo1) gene is a key component of mismatch repair (MMR) by resecting the damaged strand, which is the only exonuclease involved in the human MMR system. The gene product is a member of the RAD2 nuclease family and functions in DNA replication, repair and recombination. However, whether Exo1 is required to activate MMR-dependent DNA damage response (DDR) remains unknown, the conclusions of the Exo1 polymorphisms on cancer susceptibility studies were not consistent. We carried out a meta-analysis of 7 case-control studies to clarify the association between the Exo1 K589E polymorphism and cancer risk. Overall,a significant association of the Exo1 K589E polymorphism with cancer risk in all genetic models (Lys vs Glu: OR = 1.51, 95%CI:1.39-1.99, P<0.01; Glu/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 1.43, 95%CI:1.28-1.60, P<0.01; Lys/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 2.45, 95%CI:1.90-3.17, P<0.01; Lys/Lys+Glu/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 1.53, 95%CI:1.38-1.71, P<0.01; Glu/Glu vs Glu/Lys+Lys/Lys: OR =  2.27, 95%CI:1.79-2.89, P<0.01). In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, significantly increased risk was observed in Asian population (Lys vs Glu: OR = 1.53, 95%CI:1.39-1.69, P<0.01; Glu/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 1.50, 95%CI:1.34-1.69, P<0.01; Lys/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 2.48, 95%CI:1.84-3.34, P<0.01; Lys/Lys+Glu/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 1.58, 95%CI:1.41-1.78, P<0.01; Glu/Glu vs Glu/Lys+Lys/Lys: OR = 2.18, 95%CI:1.62-2.93, P<0.01). Subgroup analysis based on smoking suggested Exo1 K589E polymorphism conferred significant risk among smokers (Lys/Lys+Glu/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 2.16, 95%CI:1.77-2.63, P<0.01), but not in non-smokers (Lys/Lys+Glu/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 0.89, 95%CI:0.64-1.24, P = 0.50). In conclusion, Exo1 K589E Lys allele may be used as a novel biomarker for cancer susceptibility, particularly in smokers.