Expression analysis and mutational screening of the epithelium-specific ets gene-1 (ESE-1) in patients with squamous anal cancer.
To investigate whether ESE-1 gene abnormalities are involved in alterations of epithelial cell differentiation in squamous anal cancer ESE-1 expression and structure were screened in six patients by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and automated sequence analysis. The complete cDNA of isoform ESE-1b was always expressed and correctly spliced, with single nucleotide polymorphism being observed in two cases. Presence of ESE-1b point mutations was excluded. Expression of SPRR2A and ENDOA/CK8, two epithelium-specific ESE-1 target genes, were revealed by RT-PCR in all cases. This first report of expression of ESE-1, and of SPRR2A and ENDOA/CK8 (both related to terminal differentiation in different types of epithelia lining) in anal cancer excludes the hypothesis that these genes influenced carcinogenesis in our patients. Despite selecting of patients without clinical evidence of HPV infection, PCR consistently revealed HPV-16 DNA, highlighting the importance of HPV infection in anal cancer.
Zucchini
C
C
Institute of Histology and Embriology, University of Bologna, Fondazione CARISBO Center for Research into Molecular Genetics, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
Strippoli
P
P
Rosati
G
G
Del Governatore
M
M
Milano
E
E
Ugolini
G
G
Solmi
R
R
Mattei
G
G
Caira
A
A
Zanotti
S
S
Carinci
P
P
Valvassori
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001005:Anus Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000235:genetics; D055233:Cornified Envelope Proline-Rich Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D018307:Neoplasms, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors
C105504:CCL23 protein, human; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D055233:Cornified Envelope Proline-Rich Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C105529:ELF3 protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; C101744:SPRR2A protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors