Somatic mutations of epidermal growth factor receptor in colorectal carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Somatic mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene may predict the sensitivity of non-small cell lung carcinoma to gefitinib. However, no mutations have been reported for colorectal carcinoma. We therefore analyzed EGFR mutations in colorectal adenocarcinomas by the combined use of laser microdissection and sequencing of genomic DNA.


METHODS
We examined 11 representative colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines and 33 clinical samples of colorectal carcinoma. In the clinical cases, we carefully dissected only carcinoma cells from frozen sections by laser microdissection. After DNA extraction and PCR, we examined EGFR mutations by sequencing genomic DNA.


RESULTS
None of 11 colorectal carcinoma cell lines exhibited somatic mutations, but 4 of 33 clinical tumors (12%) exhibited mutations in the EGFR kinase domain. This may be the first report of somatic mutations in colorectal adenocarcinoma.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that a distinct minority of colorectal adenocarcinomas exhibit somatic mutations of EGFR, and these tumors may be susceptible to gefitinib treatment.
Nagahara
Hisashi
H
Department of Surgery, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 4546 Tsurumihara, Beppu 874-0838, Japan.
Mimori
Koshi
K
Ohta
Mitsuhiko
M
Utsunomiya
Tohru
T
Inoue
Hiroshi
H
Barnard
Graham F
GF
Ohira
Masaichi
M
Hirakawa
Kosei
K
Mori
Masaki
M
D001483:Base Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D019073:HT29 Cells; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D020125:Mutation, Missense
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D066246:ErbB Receptors