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Grasso C, Popovic M, Isaevska E, Lazzarato F, Fiano V, Zugna D, Pluta J, Weathers B, D’Andrea K, Almstrup K, Anson-Cartwright L, Bishop DT, Chanock SJ, Chen C, Cortessis VK, Dalgaard MD, Daneshmand S, Ferlin A, Foresta C, Frone MN, Gamulin M, Gietema JA, Greene MH, Grotmol T, Hamilton RJ, Haugen TB, Hauser R, Karlsson R, Kiemeney LA, Lessel D, Lista P, Lothe RA, Loveday C, Meijer C, Nead KT, Nsengimana J, Skotheim RI, Turnbull C, Vaughn DJ, Wiklund F, Zheng T, Zitella A, Schwartz SM, McGlynn KA, Kanetsky PA, Nathanson KL, Richiardi L. Association Study between Polymorphisms in DNA Methylation-Related Genes and Testicular Germ Cell Tumor Risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022; 31:1769-1779. [PMID: 35700037 PMCID: PMC9444936 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-22-0123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT), histologically classified as seminomas and nonseminomas, are believed to arise from primordial gonocytes, with the maturation process blocked when they are subjected to DNA methylation reprogramming. SNPs in DNA methylation machinery and folate-dependent one-carbon metabolism genes have been postulated to influence the proper establishment of DNA methylation. METHODS In this pathway-focused investigation, we evaluated the association between 273 selected tag SNPs from 28 DNA methylation-related genes and TGCT risk. We carried out association analysis at individual SNP and gene-based level using summary statistics from the Genome Wide Association Study meta-analysis recently conducted by the international Testicular Cancer Consortium on 10,156 TGCT cases and 179,683 controls. RESULTS In individual SNP analyses, seven SNPs, four mapping within MTHFR, were associated with TGCT risk after correction for multiple testing (q ≤ 0.05). Queries of public databases showed that three of these SNPs were associated with MTHFR changes in enzymatic activity (rs1801133) or expression level in testis tissue (rs12121543, rs1476413). Gene-based analyses revealed MTHFR (q = 8.4 × 10-4), methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2; q = 2 × 10-3), and ZBTB4 (q = 0.03) as the top TGCT-associated genes. Stratifying by tumor histology, four MTHFR SNPs were associated with seminoma. In gene-based analysis MTHFR was associated with risk of seminoma (q = 2.8 × 10-4), but not with nonseminomatous tumors (q = 0.22). CONCLUSIONS Genetic variants within MTHFR, potentially having an impact on the DNA methylation pattern, are associated with TGCT risk. IMPACT This finding suggests that TGCT pathogenesis could be associated with the folate cycle status, and this relation could be partly due to hereditary factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Grasso
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO Piedmont, Turin, Italy
| | - Maja Popovic
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO Piedmont, Turin, Italy
| | - Elena Isaevska
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO Piedmont, Turin, Italy
| | - Fulvio Lazzarato
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO Piedmont, Turin, Italy
| | - Valentina Fiano
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO Piedmont, Turin, Italy
| | - Daniela Zugna
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO Piedmont, Turin, Italy
| | - John Pluta
- Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Benita Weathers
- Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kurt D’Andrea
- Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kristian Almstrup
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lynn Anson-Cartwright
- Department of Surgery (Urology), University of Toronto and The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - D. Timothy Bishop
- Department of Haematology and Immunology, Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St James’s, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Stephen J. Chanock
- Division of Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Chu Chen
- Program in Epidemiology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Victoria K. Cortessis
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marlene D. Dalgaard
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Siamak Daneshmand
- Department of Urology, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Alberto Ferlin
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Carlo Foresta
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Megan N. Frone
- Division of Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Marija Gamulin
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Jourik A. Gietema
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mark H. Greene
- Division of Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Tom Grotmol
- Department of Research, Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway
| | - Robert J. Hamilton
- Department of Surgery (Urology), University of Toronto and The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Trine B. Haugen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
| | - Russ Hauser
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert Karlsson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Davor Lessel
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Patrizia Lista
- Division of Medical Oncology1, AOU “Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino”, Turin, Italy
| | - Ragnhild A. Lothe
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital-Radiumhospitalet, Oslo, Norway
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Chey Loveday
- Division of Genetics and Epidemiology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Coby Meijer
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kevin T. Nead
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jérémie Nsengimana
- Biostatistics Research Group, Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Rolf I. Skotheim
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital-Radiumhospitalet, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Clare Turnbull
- Division of Genetics and Epidemiology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Vaughn
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Fredrik Wiklund
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tongzhang Zheng
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Andrea Zitella
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgical Science, AOU “Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino”, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Stephen M. Schwartz
- Program in Epidemiology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Katherine A. McGlynn
- Division of Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Peter A. Kanetsky
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Katherine L. Nathanson
- Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lorenzo Richiardi
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO Piedmont, Turin, Italy
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Young JC, Kerr G, Micati D, Nielsen JE, Rajpert-De Meyts E, Abud HE, Loveland KL. WNT signalling in the normal human adult testis and in male germ cell neoplasms. Hum Reprod 2021; 35:1991-2003. [PMID: 32667987 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deaa150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Is WNT signalling functional in normal and/or neoplastic human male germ cells? SUMMARY ANSWER Regulated WNT signalling component synthesis in human testes indicates that WNT pathway function changes during normal spermatogenesis and is active in testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs), and that WNT pathway blockade may restrict seminoma growth and migration. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Regulated WNT signalling governs many developmental processes, including those affecting male fertility during early germ cell development at embryonic and adult (spermatogonial) ages in mice. In addition, although many cancers arise from WNT signalling alterations, the functional relevance and WNT pathway components in TGCT, including germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS), are unknown. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION The cellular distribution of transcripts and proteins in WNT signalling pathways was assessed in fixed human testis sections with normal spermatogenesis, GCNIS and seminoma (2-16 individuals per condition). Short-term (1-7 h) ligand activation and long-term (1-5 days) functional outcomes were examined using the well-characterised seminoma cell line, TCam-2. Pathway inhibition used siRNA or chemical exposures over 5 days to assess survival and migration. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The cellular localisation of WNT signalling components was determined using in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry on Bouin's- and formalin-fixed human testis sections with complete spermatogenesis or germ cell neoplasia, and was also assessed in TCam-2 cells. Pathway function tests included exposure of TCam-2 cells to ligands, small molecules and siRNAs. Outcomes were measured by monitoring beta-catenin (CTNNB1) intracellular localisation, cell counting and gap closure measurements. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Detection of nuclear-localised beta-catenin (CTNNB1), and key WNT signalling components (including WNT3A, AXIN2, TCF7L1 and TCF7L2) indicate dynamic and cell-specific pathway activity in the adult human testis. Their presence in germ cell neoplasia and functional analyses in TCam-2 cells indicate roles for active canonical WNT signalling in TGCT relating to viability and migration. All data were analysed to determine statistical significance. LARGE SCALE DATA No large-scale datasets were generated in this study. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION As TGCTs are rare and morphologically heterogeneous, functional studies in primary cancer cells were not performed. Functional analysis was performed with the only well-characterised, widely accepted seminoma-derived cell line. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This study demonstrated the potential sites and involvement of the WNT pathway in human spermatogenesis, revealing similarities with murine testis that suggest the potential for functional conservation during normal spermatogenesis. Evidence that inhibition of canonical WNT signalling leads to loss of viability and migratory activity in seminoma cells suggests that potential treatments using small molecule or siRNA inhibitors may be suitable for patients with metastatic TGCTs. STUDY FUNDING AND COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was funded by National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (Project ID 1011340 to K.L.L. and H.E.A., and Fellowship ID 1079646 to K.L.L.) and supported by the Victorian Government's Operational Infrastructure Support Program. None of the authors have any competing interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia C Young
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, 3800 Australia
| | - Genevieve Kerr
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, 3800 Australia
| | - Diana Micati
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, 3800 Australia.,Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton 3168, Australia
| | - John E Nielsen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Helen E Abud
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, 3800 Australia.,Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, 3800 Australia
| | - Kate L Loveland
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, 3800 Australia.,Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton 3168, Australia.,Department of Molecular and Translational Science, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, 3168, Australia
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Miyai K, Ito K, Nakanishi K, Tsuda H. Cell-to-cell variation of chromosomal number in the adult testicular germ cell tumors: a comparison of chromosomal instability among histological components and its putative role in tumor progression. Virchows Arch 2019; 474:711-720. [PMID: 30877382 DOI: 10.1007/s00428-019-02560-6] [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] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
By allelotyping analysis, we previously reported a putative progression pathway from germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS) to seminoma, then to embryonal carcinoma in mixed-type testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs), and detected that loss of heterozygosity events in seminoma components in mixed tumors were more frequent than those in pure seminomas. To elucidate a role of chromosomal instability in the progression of non-seminomatous germ cell tumor (NSGCT), we performed fluorescence in situ hybridization with centromeric probes for chromosomes 1, 7, 8, 12, 17, and X on a cohort of 52 TGCT cases with 103 histologically distinct components: 39 GCNIS lesions (16 and 23 in tumors with and without NSGCT components, respectively), 39 seminomas (27 as pure seminomas and 12 in mixed tumors), and 25 embryonal carcinomas. On a total component basis, both the mean copy number per tumor cell nucleus and the deviations from the modal number of all chromosomes examined significantly increased from GCNIS to seminoma, then to embryonal carcinoma with few exceptions. Seminoma components in mixed tumors showed a significantly greater extent of chromosomal instability in chromosomes 8 and 12 than pure seminomas, whereas no statistically significant difference was observed between GCNIS lesions with and without NSGCT components. These results suggest that not only aneuploidy, but also the cell-to-cell variation of chromosomal number is a sensitive indicator of chromosomal instability and would be implicated in the progression of NSGCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Miyai
- Department of Basic Pathology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan. .,Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan.
| | - Keiichi Ito
- Department of Urology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan
| | - Kuniaki Nakanishi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Tsuda
- Department of Basic Pathology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan
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Miyai K, Ito K, Nakanishi K, Tsuda H. Seminoma component of mixed testicular germ cell tumor shows a higher incidence of loss of heterozygosity than pure-type seminoma. Hum Pathol 2018; 84:71-80. [PMID: 30266250 DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Using analysis of allelic loss (loss of heterozygosity [LOH]), we previously reported a putative progression pathway from germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS) to seminoma and then to embryonal carcinoma in mixed-type testicular germ cell tumors. To identify the genetic backgrounds related to the progression of nonseminomatous germ cell tumor, patterns of LOH were studied in seminoma components in mixed tumors (18 cases), pure seminomas (20 cases), and coexisting GCNIS lesions. Each tumor was assessed for LOH at 22 polymorphic loci located on 12 chromosomal arms: 3q, 5q, 6p, 9p, 10q, 11p, 12p, 12q, 13q, 17p, 17q, and 18q. For all informative loci, the frequency of LOH in seminoma components in mixed tumors was significantly higher than that in pure seminomas (32% [96/302 loci] versus 19% [60/323 loci], P < .0001). The frequency of LOH in GCNIS lesions was not significantly different between the 2 tumor groups. The frequencies of LOH at chromosomes 6p and 10q were significantly higher in seminoma components in mixed tumors than in pure seminomas (P = .020 and P = .0041, respectively). Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated a close association between the allelic status of the 10q23 locus and levels of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 protein expression in seminoma (P = .00051). These data indicate that the seminoma, which has a potential to progress to nonseminomatous germ cell tumor, already exhibits several genetic changes including allelic losses of 6p and 10q, unlike pure seminoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Miyai
- Department of Basic Pathology, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan.
| | - Keiichi Ito
- Department of Urology, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan
| | - Kuniaki Nakanishi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Tsuda
- Department of Basic Pathology, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan
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