title: Genetic and epigenetic analysis of the VHL gene in gastric cancers.
abstract: The von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene (VHL), which is located on chromosome 3p25, plays an important role in tumorigenesis, particularly in tumor growth and vascularization. Mutations of the VHL gene have been observed in the hereditary VHL syndrome and a variety of other sporadic cancers. In this study, in order to investigate whether the VHL gene is involved in gastric carcinogenesis, we have examined the genetic alterations, including somatic mutations and allelic loss, with the two microsatellite markers, D3S1038 and D3S1110, as well as promoter hypermethylation of the VHL gene in 88 sporadic gastric adenocarcinomas. No mutation was detected in the coding region of the VHL gene. Allelic loss was found in 20 (33.9%) of 59 informative cancer cases at one or both markers. In addition, promoter hypermethylation was not detected in the gastric cancer samples. This is the first investigation of the genetic and epigenetic alterations of the VHL gene in gastric cancers. Our results suggest that genetic and epigenetic alterations of the VHL gene may be not involved in the development or progression of gastric cancers. The findings also provide evidence for the presence of another gastric cancer specific tumor suppressor gene at the 3p25 region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seocho-Gu, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Jae Hwi
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Chang Jae
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yong Gu
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Su Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Suk Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Jung Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Won Sang
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D008297:Male; D042282:Microdissection; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D051794:Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D051794:Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein; C497446:VHL protein, human