Distinct BRAF (V600E) and KRAS mutations in high microsatellite instability sporadic colorectal cancer in African Americans.
OBJECTIVE
Colorectal cancer develops through genetic, epigenetic, and environmental events that result in uncontrolled cell proliferation. Colorectal cancer incidence and mortality is higher in African Americans (AA) than in the general population. Here, we carried out a molecular analysis of sporadic colorectal cancer tumors from AAs to investigate possible explanations for the observed disparities.


METHODS
A total of 222 AA colorectal cancer tumors were analyzed for microsatellite instability (MSI) for protein expression of two DNA mismatch repair genes, MLH1 and MSH2, by immunohistochemistry; for the methylation silencing of MLH1, p16, APC, and APC2 promoters by methylation-specific PCR; and for point mutations in two oncogenes, KRAS and BRAF, by sequencing.


RESULTS
In our sample, 19.8% of the AAs colorectal cancer tumors were MSI high (MSI-H) and did not associate with any of the clinicopathologic features, except tumor differentiation. Higher levels of inactive DNA mismatch repair proteins MLH1 (41%) and MSH2 (33%) were found by immunohistochemistry. Methylation-specific PCR analysis revealed a high level of methylation for MLH1 (66%), APC (53%), and APC2 (90%), but not for p16 (26%). BRAF mutations were only within the MSI-H tumors, whereas most (64%) of KRAS mutations were found within the non-MSI-H group.


CONCLUSIONS
MLH1, MSH2, and BRAF alterations are significantly associated with MSI-H phenotype, unlike APC, APC2 and KRAS alterations. The prominent role of DNA mismatch repair gene suppression in MSI-H and a distinctive role of BRAF and KRAS mutations with respect to MSI status are supported by this study.
Kumar
Krishan
K
Department of Medicine and Cancer Center, Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia 20060, USA.
Brim
Hassan
H
Giardiello
Francis
F
Smoot
Duane T
DT
Nouraie
Mehdi
M
Lee
Edward L
EL
Ashktorab
Hassan
H
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000235:genetics*; D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D019175:DNA Methylation; D005260:Female; D017491:Genes, APC; D019942:Genes, p16; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053842:Microsatellite Instability; D008875:Middle Aged; D000070957:MutL Protein Homolog 1; D051718:MutS Homolog 2 Protein / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics*; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; C117307:KRAS protein, human; C501486:MLH1 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C482119:BRAF protein, human; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; C497172:MSH2 protein, human; D000070957:MutL Protein Homolog 1; D051718:MutS Homolog 2 Protein; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018631:ras Proteins