Microsatellite instability and gene mutations in transforming growth factor-beta type II receptor are absent in small bowel carcinoid tumors.
BACKGROUND
Microsatellite instability (MSI) with concomitant mutations in the coding region of transforming growth factor-beta type II receptor (TGFbetaRII) results in an aberrant growth-regulatory phenotype in colorectal carcinomas. The authors postulated that a similar mechanism occurred during the malignant evolution of small bowel carcinoid tumors.


METHODS
Mutational analysis of two coding regions in the TGFbetaRII gene associated with MSI and BAT-26 within intron 5 of the mismatch repair gene, hMSH2, was undertaken in small bowel carcinoids (n = 14), lymph node metasasis (n = 1) and liver metastases (n = 5). Quantitative PCR analysis [TAQMAN, Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA] was then undertaken to examine gene alterations in mismatch repair genes (hMLH1 and hMSH2) in small bowel carcinoids (n = 7) and matched normal mucosa (n = 5). Staining was then analyzed using quantitative tissue array profiling (AQUA analysis) in a small bowel EC carcinoid tissue microarray (n = 55 tumors) with immunostaining against TGFbetaRII and MSH2.


RESULTS
Mutational examination of the TFGbetaRII gene and BAT-26 demonstrated that MSI was not present in any carcinoid material. Q RT-PCR analysis demonstrated statistically significant increased message levels of hMSH2 but not hMLH1 in carcinoid tumors. Quantitative analysis of membrane TGFbetaRII immunostaining using AQUA demonstrated that TGFbetaRII expression was down-regulated (P < 0.0002) in thirty-three primary small bowel carcinoids that exhibited lymph node and liver metastases compared to normal mucosa. AQUA analysis of nuclear MSH2 immunostaining demonstrated no differences for MSH2 between normal tissue and carcinoid tumor metastasis. Small bowel carcinoids characterized by variable expression of TGFbetaRII, did not exhibit MSI and had no differences in MSH2 expression.


CONCLUSIONS
The molecular events leading to the formation of carcinoid tumors in the small bowel were different from those resulting in epithelial carcinomas. The usually slow-growing and relatively nonaggressive carcinoid tumors had variable expression of TGFbetaRII but were associated with the retention of mismatch repair protein function and a microsatellite-stable phenotype.
Kidd
Mark
M
Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8062, USA. mkidd01@snet.net
Eick
Geeta
G
Shapiro
Michael D
MD
Camp
Robert L
RL
Mane
Shrikant M
SM
Modlin
Irvin M
IM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020137:Base Pair Mismatch; D001483:Base Sequence; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D042822:Genomic Instability; D006801:Humans; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II