title: Smad4 deficiency in cervical carcinoma cells.
abstract: Squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix is one of the most frequent cancers affecting women worldwide. Carcinomas arise from cervical intraepithelial lesions, in which infection with high-risk human papillomavirus types has led to deregulated growth control through the actions of the viral E6 and E7 oncoproteins. The molecular mechanisms underlying progression to invasive tumor growth are poorly understood. One important feature, however, is the escape from growth inhibition by transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta). Loss of chromosomal arm 18q is among the most frequent cytogenetic alterations in cervical cancers and has been associated with poor prognosis. Since the TGF-beta response is mediated by Smad proteins and the tumor suppressor gene Smad4 resides at 18q21, we have analysed the Smad4 gene for cervical cancer-associated alterations in cell lines and primary carcinomas. Here, we report Smad4 deficiency in four out of 13 cervical cancer cell lines which is due to an intronic rearrangement or deletions of 3' exons. All cell lines, however, showed either absent or moderate responsiveness to TGF-beta irrespective of their Smad4 status. In 41 primary squamous cervical carcinomas analysed, 10 samples showed loss of Smad4 protein expression and 26 samples a reduced expression. Altogether, our results strongly suggest that Smad4 gene alterations are involved in cervical carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, D-50931 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Baldus
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lohrey
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zapatka
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Landsberg
authors.forename: Stephan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Hans Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Dienes
authors.forename: Wolff H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Schmiegel
authors.forename: Irmgard
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schwarte-Waldhoff
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051901:Smad4 Protein; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C497796:SMAD4 protein, human; D051901:Smad4 Protein; D015534:Trans-Activators; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta