title: Loss of WWOX expression in gastric carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) is a tumor suppressor gene that maps to the common fragile site FRA16D on chromosome 16q23.3-24.1. To investigate the role of the WWOX gene in the development of gastric carcinoma, we examined a large series of primary adenocarcinomas and nine gastric cancer cell lines for the expression of Wwox.
  
  
  METHODS
  Loss of heterozygosity, reverse-transcription-PCR, and immunohistochemistry were used to assess the role of WWOX in stomach cancer. A total of 81 primary gastric adenocarcinoma were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Loss of heterozygosity was observed in 31% of the cases and loss of Wwox protein expression was found in 65% of gastric adenocarcinoma primary specimens and 33% of gastric cancer cell lines. In addition, we found a high correlation between Wwox and Fhit protein expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that alterations of the WWOX gene may be involved quite frequently in gastric tumorigenesis. Our data could be used in future studies to develop diagnostic and targeted therapy of stomach cancer.
authors.affiliation: Kimmel Cancer Institute, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA.
authors.forename: Rami I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Aqeilan
authors.forename: Tamotsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuroki
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pekarsky
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Albagha
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trapasso
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baffa
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huebner
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Edmonds
authors.forename: Carlo M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Croce
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D009154:Mutation; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013270:Stomach / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000074584:WW Domain-Containing Oxidoreductase
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D000074584:WW Domain-Containing Oxidoreductase; C486071:WWOX protein, human