GCAT|Panel, a comprehensive structural variant haplotype map of the Iberian population from high-coverage whole-genome sequencing.

The combined analysis of haplotype panels with phenotype clinical cohorts is a common approach to explore the genetic architecture of human diseases. However, genetic studies are mainly based on single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and small insertions and deletions (indels). Here, we contribute to fill this gap by generating a dense haplotype map focused on the identification, characterization, and phasing of structural variants (SVs). By integrating multiple variant identification methods and Logistic Regression Models (LRMs), we present a catalogue of 35 431 441 variants, including 89 178 SVs (≥50 bp), 30 325 064 SNVs and 5 017 199 indels, across 785 Illumina high coverage (30x) whole-genomes from the Iberian GCAT Cohort, containing a median of 3.52M SNVs, 606 336 indels and 6393 SVs per individual. The haplotype panel is able to impute up to 14 360 728 SNVs/indels and 23 179 SVs, showing a 2.7-fold increase for SVs compared with available genetic variation panels. The value of this panel for SVs analysis is shown through an imputed rare Alu element located in a new locus associated with Mononeuritis of lower limb, a rare neuromuscular disease. This study represents the first deep characterization of genetic variation within the Iberian population and the first operational haplotype panel to systematically include the SVs into genome-wide genetic studies.

Stimulated emission depletion (STED) super resolution imaging of RNA- and protein-containing domains in fixed cells.

Super resolution microscopy has changed our capability to visualize and understand spatial arrangements of RNA- and protein-containing domains in individual cells. In a previous study, we described a novel lncRNA, Tumor-associated NBL2 transcript (TNBL), which originates from a primate specific macrosatellite repeat. We aimed to describe several aspects of TNBL lncRNA, with one focus being pinpointing its precise location in the nucleus, as well as visualizing its interactions with proteins to deduce its functionality. Using a combination of STimulated Emission Depletion (STED) super resolution microscopy, single molecule RNA (smRNA) FISH against TNBL, and immunofluorescence against SAM68 perinucleolar body, we resolved the spatial complexity of the interaction between TNBL aggregates and SAM68 bodies at the perinucleolar region. Here, we describe protocols for a step-by-step optimized smRNA FISH/IF and STED imaging, detailing parameter settings, and three-dimensional data analysis of spatial positioning of subnuclear structures. These protocols can be employed for single-cell imaging of complex nuclear RNA-protein structures.

A novel long non-coding RNA from NBL2 pericentromeric macrosatellite forms a perinucleolar aggregate structure in colon cancer.

Primate-specific NBL2 macrosatellite is hypomethylated in several types of tumors, yet the consequences of this DNA hypomethylation remain unknown. We show that NBL2 conserved repeats are close to the centromeres of most acrocentric chromosomes. NBL2 associates with the perinucleolar region and undergoes severe demethylation in a subset of colorectal cancer (CRC). Upon DNA hypomethylation and histone acetylation, NBL2 repeats are transcribed in tumor cell lines and primary CRCs. NBL2 monomers exhibit promoter activity, and are contained within novel, non-polyA antisense lncRNAs, which we designated TNBL (Tumor-associated NBL2 transcript). TNBL is stable throughout the mitotic cycle, and in interphase nuclei preferentially forms a perinucleolar aggregate in the proximity of a subset of NBL2 loci. TNBL aggregates interact with the SAM68 perinucleolar body in a mirror-image cancer specific perinucleolar structure. TNBL binds with high affinity to several proteins involved in nuclear functions and RNA metabolism, such as CELF1 and NPM1. Our data unveil novel DNA and RNA structural features of a non-coding macrosatellite frequently altered in cancer.

Multitrait genome association analysis identifies new susceptibility genes for human anthropometric variation in the GCAT cohort.

BACKGROUND: Heritability estimates have revealed an important contribution of SNP variants for most common traits; however, SNP analysis by single-trait genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has failed to uncover their impact. In this study, we applied a multitrait GWAS approach to discover additional factor of the missing heritability of human anthropometric variation. METHODS: We analysed 205 traits, including diseases identified at baseline in the GCAT cohort (Genomes For Life- Cohort study of the Genomes of Catalonia) (n=4988), a Mediterranean adult population-based cohort study from the south of Europe. We estimated SNP heritability contribution and single-trait GWAS for all traits from 15 million SNP variants. Then, we applied a multitrait-related approach to study genome-wide association to anthropometric measures in a two-stage meta-analysis with the UK Biobank cohort (n=336 107). RESULTS: Heritability estimates (eg, skin colour, alcohol consumption, smoking habit, body mass index, educational level or height) revealed an important contribution of SNP variants, ranging from 18% to 77%. Single-trait analysis identified 1785 SNPs with genome-wide significance threshold. From these, several previously reported single-trait hits were confirmed in our sample with LINC01432 (p=1.9×10-9) variants associated with male baldness, LDLR variants with hyperlipidaemia (ICD-9:272) (p=9.4×10-10) and variants in IRF4 (p=2.8×10-57), SLC45A2 (p=2.2×10-130), HERC2 (p=2.8×10-176), OCA2 (p=2.4×10-121) and MC1R (p=7.7×10-22) associated with hair, eye and skin colour, freckling, tanning capacity and sun burning sensitivity and the Fitzpatrick phototype score, all highly correlated cross-phenotypes. Multitrait meta-analysis of anthropometric variation validated 27 loci in a two-stage meta-analysis with a large British ancestry cohort, six of which are newly reported here (p value threshold <5×10-9) at ZRANB2-AS2, PIK3R1, EPHA7, MAD1L1, CACUL1 and MAP3K9. CONCLUSION: Considering multiple-related genetic phenotypes improve associated genome signal detection. These results indicate the potential value of data-driven multivariate phenotyping for genetic studies in large population-based cohorts to contribute to knowledge of complex traits.

Clinical characteristics of synchronous colorectal cancers in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Incidence and clinical characteristics of synchronous colorectal cancer (sCRC) patients significantly vary among studies, likely due to differences in surveillance methodology. If remain undetected, sCRC can progress to more advanced stages seriously aggravating patient prognosis. We studied the incidence and clinicopathological characteristics of Japanese patients with sCRCs who underwent surgery for primary CRC and received exhaustive perioperative surveillance. METHODS: We recruited 1005 patients with surgically resected CRCs between January 2007 and December 2011. The associations of clinical and pathological factors with sCRC development were assessed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Eighty-four patients (8.4 %) developed sCRCs, 16 of them (19.0 %) harboring three or more cancers. Companion sCRCs were smaller and earlier stage than the index lesion (P < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, advanced age (odds ratio (OR) 1.03 per year; P = 0.009) and left colon tumor location (OR 1.78; P = 0.013) are associated with higher risk of sCRCs, particularly in females. Overall survival did not differ between solitary CRC and sCRC (P = 0.62). CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the importance of perioperative colonoscopy examination to ensure the absence of sCRCs that, being small and early staged, are more difficult to detect. The incidence of sCRC, and notably of triple or more sCRCs, was higher than previously recognized. Because they are also significantly higher than expected by merely stochastic accumulation of individual cancerous lesions, we suggest that the occurrence of many sCRC reflects a hitherto uncharacterized predisposition condition.

Substrate cleavage profiling suggests a distinct function of Bacteroides fragilis metalloproteinases (fragilysin and metalloproteinase II) at the microbiome-inflammation-cancer interface.

Enterotoxigenic anaerobic Bacteroides fragilis is a significant source of inflammatory diarrheal disease and a risk factor for colorectal cancer. Two distinct metalloproteinase types (the homologous 1, 2, and 3 isoforms of fragilysin (FRA1, FRA2, and FRA3, respectively) and metalloproteinase II (MPII)) are encoded by the B. fragilis pathogenicity island. FRA was demonstrated to be important to pathogenesis, whereas MPII, also a potential virulence protein, remained completely uncharacterized. Here, we, for the first time, extensively characterized MPII in comparison with FRA3, a representative of the FRA isoforms. We employed a series of multiplexed peptide cleavage assays to determine substrate specificity and proteolytic characteristics of MPII and FRA. These results enabled implementation of an efficient assay of MPII activity using a fluorescence-quenched peptide and contributed to structural evidence for the distinct substrate cleavage preferences of MPII and FRA. Our data imply that MPII specificity mimics the dibasic Arg↓Arg cleavage motif of furin-like proprotein convertases, whereas the cleavage motif of FRA (Pro-X-X-Leu-(Arg/Ala/Leu)↓) resembles that of human matrix metalloproteinases. To the best of our knowledge, MPII is the first zinc metalloproteinase with the dibasic cleavage preferences, suggesting a high level of versatility of metalloproteinase proteolysis. Based on these data, we now suggest that the combined (rather than individual) activity of MPII and FRA is required for the overall B. fragilis virulence in vivo.

DNA methylation alterations of AXIN2 in serrated adenomas and colon carcinomas with microsatellite instability.

BACKGROUND: Recent work led to recognize sessile serrated adenomas (SSA) as precursor to many of the sporadic colorectal cancers with microsatellite instability (MSI). However, comprehensive analyses of DNA methylation in SSA and MSI cancer have not been conducted. METHODS: With an array-based methylation sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphism (MS-AFLP) method we analyzed 8 tubular (TA) and 19 serrated (SSA) adenomas, and 14 carcinomas with (MSI) and 12 without (MSS) microsatellite instability. MS-AFLP array can survey relative differences in methylation between normal and tumor tissues of 9,654 DNA fragments containing all NotI sequences in the human genome. RESULTS: Unsupervised clustering analysis of the genome-wide hypermethylation alterations revealed no major differences between or within these groups of benign and malignant tumors regardless of their location in intergenic, intragenic, promoter, or 3' end regions. Hypomethylation was less frequent in SSAs compared with MSI or MSS carcinomas. Analysis of variance of DNA methylation between these four subgroups identified 56 probes differentially altered. The hierarchical tree of this subset of probes revealed two distinct clusters: Group 1, mostly composed by TAs and MSS cancers with KRAS mutations; and Group 2 with BRAF mutations, which consisted of cancers with MSI and MLH1 methylation (Group 2A), and SSAs without MLH1 methylation (Group 2B). AXIN2, which cooperates with APC and ß-catenin in Wnt signaling, had more methylation alterations in Group 2, and its expression levels negatively correlated with methylation determined by bisulfite sequencing. Within group 2B, low and high AXIN2 expression levels correlated significantly with differences in size (P = 0.01) location (P = 0.05) and crypt architecture (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Somatic methylation alterations of AXIN2, associated with changes in its expression, stratify SSAs according to some clinico-pathological differences. We conclude that hypermethylation of MLH1, when occurs in an adenoma cell with BRAF oncogenic mutational activation, drives the pathway for MSI cancer by providing the cells with a mutator phenotype. AXIN2 inactivation may contribute to this tumorigenic pathway either by mutator phenotype driven frameshift mutations or by epigenetic deregulation contemporary with the unfolding of the mutator phenotype.

Global DNA demethylation in gastrointestinal cancer is age dependent and precedes genomic damage.

We studied the relationships between genetic and epigenetic alterations in gastrointestinal cancer by integrating DNA copy number changes determined by arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR) with DNA methylation variations estimated by methylation-sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphism (MS-AFLP). We analyzed about 100 different chromosomal regions by AP-PCR and over 150 random CpG loci by MS-AFLP in human colon and gastric carcinomas. DNA hypomethylation and hypermethylation alterations distributed gradually and increased with cancer patient age, in contrast with the age-independent genomic alterations. Increased DNA hypomethylation and hypermethylation correlated with increased genomic damage, but only hypomethylation was highly significant in multivariate analyses. We conclude that age-dependent accumulation of DNA demethylation precedes diploidy loss in a significant subset of gastrointestinal cancers.

Genetics supersedes epigenetics in colon cancer phenotype.

A CpG island DNA methylator phenotype has been postulated to explain silencing of the hMLH1 DNA mismatch repair gene in cancer of the microsatellite mutator phenotype. To evaluate this model, we analyzed methylation in CpG islands from six mutator and suppressor genes, and thirty random genomic sites, in a panel of colorectal cancers. Tumor-specific somatic hypermethylation was a widespread age-dependent process that followed a normal Gaussian distribution. Because there was no discontinuity in methylation rate, our results challenge the methylator phenotype hypothesis and its hypothetical pathological underlying defect. We also show that the mutator phenotype dominates over the gradual accumulation of DNA hypermethylation in determining the genotypic features that govern the phenotypic peculiarities of colon cancer of the mutator pathway.

Somatic Hypomethylation of Pericentromeric SST1 Repeats and Tetraploidization in Human Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Somatic DNA hypomethylation and aneuploidy are hallmarks of cancer, and there is evidence for a causal relationship between them in knockout mice but not in human cancer. The non-mobile pericentromeric repetitive elements SST1 are hypomethylated in about 17% of human colorectal cancers (CRC) with some 5-7% exhibiting strong age-independent demethylation. We studied the frequency of genome doubling, a common event in solid tumors linked to aneuploidy, in randomly selected single cell clones of near-diploid LS174T human CRC cells differing in their level of SST1 demethylation. Near-diploid LS174T cells underwent frequent genome-doubling events generating near-tetraploid clones with lower levels of SST1 methylation. In primary CRC, strong SST1 hypomethylation was significantly associated with global genomic hypomethylation and mutations in TP53. This work uncovers the association of the naturally occurring demethylation of the SST1 pericentromeric repeat with the onset of spontaneous tetraploidization in human CRC cells in culture and with TP53 mutations in primary CRCs. Altogether, our findings provide further support for an oncogenic pathway linking somatic hypomethylation and genetic copy number alterations in a subset of human CRC.

DNA fingerprinting techniques for the analysis of genetic and epigenetic alterations in colorectal cancer.

Genetic somatic alterations are fundamental hallmarks of cancer. In addition to point and other small mutations targeting cancer genes, solid tumors often exhibit aneuploidy as well as multiple chromosomal rearrangements of large fragments of the genome. Whether somatic chromosomal alterations and aneuploidy are a driving force or a mere consequence of tumorigenesis remains controversial. Recently it became apparent that not only genetic but also epigenetic alterations play a major role in carcinogenesis. Epigenetic regulation mechanisms underlie the maintenance of cell identity crucial for development and differentiation. These epigenetic regulatory mechanisms have been found substantially altered during cancer development and progression. In this review, we discuss approaches designed to analyze genetic and epigenetic alterations in colorectal cancer, especially DNA fingerprinting approaches to detect changes in DNA copy number and methylation. DNA fingerprinting techniques, despite their modest throughput, played a pivotal role in significant discoveries in the molecular basis of colorectal cancer. The aim of this review is to revisit the fingerprinting technologies employed and the oncogenic processes that they unveiled.

Preservation of fertility in patients with cancer (Review).

Survival rates in oncological patients have been steadily increasing in recent years due to the greater effectiveness of novel oncological treatments, such as radio­ and chemotherapy. However, these treatments impair the reproductive ability of patients, and may cause premature ovarian failure in females and azoospermia in males. Fertility preservation in both female and male oncological patients is nowadays possible and should be integrated as part of the oncological healthcare. The main objective of this review was to describe the different existing options of fertility preservation in patients undergoing gonadotoxic cancer treatments, as well as the differences in success rates that may appear in the different techniques evaluated. Emerging techniques are promising, such as the cryopreservation in orthotopic models of ovarian or testicle tissues, artificial ovaries, or in vitro culture prior to the autotransplantation of cryopreserved tissues. However, oocyte vitrification for female patients and sperm banking for male patients are considered the first line fertility preservation option at the present time for cancer patients undergoing treatment. Certainly, new fertility preservation techniques will continue to develop in the following years. However, despite the growing advances in the subject, optimal counselling from healthcare professionals should always be present.

Methylation-Sensitive Amplification Length Polymorphism (MS-AFLP) Microarrays for Epigenetic Analysis of Human Genomes.

Somatic, and in a minor scale also germ line, epigenetic aberrations are fundamental to carcinogenesis, cancer progression, and tumor phenotype. DNA methylation is the most extensively studied and arguably the best understood epigenetic mechanisms that become altered in cancer. Both somatic loss of methylation (hypomethylation) and gain of methylation (hypermethylation) are found in the genome of malignant cells. In general, the cancer cell epigenome is globally hypomethylated, while some regions-typically gene-associated CpG islands-become hypermethylated. Given the profound impact that DNA methylation exerts on the transcriptional profile and genomic stability of cancer cells, its characterization is essential to fully understand the complexity of cancer biology, improve tumor classification, and ultimately advance cancer patient management and treatment. A plethora of methods have been devised to analyze and quantify DNA methylation alterations. Several of the early-developed methods relied on the use of methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes, whose activity depends on the methylation status of their recognition sequences. Among these techniques, methylation-sensitive amplification length polymorphism (MS-AFLP) was developed in the early 2000s, and successfully adapted from its original gel electrophoresis fingerprinting format to a microarray format that notably increased its throughput and allowed the quantification of the methylation changes. This array-based platform interrogates over 9500 independent loci putatively amplified by the MS-AFLP technique, corresponding to the NotI sites mapped throughout the human genome.

Analysis of Somatic DNA Methylation Alterations of Genes Encoding Cell Surface Metallopeptidases in Colorectal Cancer.

The genome of cancer cells accumulates numerous genetic and epigenetic somatic alterations ultimately conferring capabilities for unrestrained growth, invasion of local tissues, migration, and colonization of distant organs. Many of these new capabilities require the disruption of the cell-to-cell interactions between the cancer cell and its microenvironment. These interactions are mediated, among other factors, by the activity of extracellular enzymes that reshape not only the extracellular compartment of the cancer cells but also that of the neighboring non-cancerous stroma cells. Cell surface metallopeptidases play a crucial role in this process, by cleaving and modifying fundamental components of the extracellular compartment. The transcriptional profile of cell surface metallopeptidases becomes deregulated in several human cancers by genetic and epigenetic alterations, contributing to the tumor phenotype. In this article, we describe two common strategies to analyze somatic epigenetic alterations of cell surface metallopeptidases, i.e., high-resolution single locus analysis and high-throughput multi-loci analysis, presenting several illustrative analyses performed on our CRC collection. These analyses demonstrate that cell surface metallopeptidases, particularly those belonging to the ADAMTS gene family, frequently undergo somatic DNA hypermethylation in CRC suggesting the existence of an underlying mechanism or a strong selection process favoring the transcriptional silencing of these genes.

GCAT|Genomes for life: a prospective cohort study of the genomes of Catalonia.

PURPOSE: The prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is increasing worldwide. NCDs are the leading cause of both morbidity and mortality, and it is estimated that by 2030, they will be responsible for 80% of deaths across the world. The Genomes for Life (GCAT) project is a long-term prospective cohort study that was designed to integrate and assess the role of epidemiological, genomic and epigenomic factors in the development of major chronic diseases in Catalonia, a north-east region of Spain. PARTICIPANTS: At the end of 2017, the GCAT Study will have recruited 20 000 participants aged 40-65 years. Participants who agreed to take part in the study completed a self-administered computer-driven questionnaire, and underwent blood pressure, cardiac frequency and anthropometry measurements. For each participant, blood plasma, blood serum and white blood cells are collected at baseline. The GCAT Study has access to the electronic health records of the Catalan Public Healthcare System. Participants will be followed biannually at least 20 years after recruitment. FINDINGS TO DATE: Among all GCAT participants, 59.2% are women and 83.3% of the cohort identified themselves as Caucasian/white. More than half of the participants have higher education levels, 72.2% are current workers and 42.1% are classified as overweight (body mass index ≥25 and <30 kg/m2). We have genotyped 5459 participants, of which 5000 have metabolome data. Further, the whole genome of 808 participants will be sequenced by the end of 2017. FUTURE PLANS: The first follow-up study started in December 2017 and will end by March 2018. Residences of all subjects will be geocoded during the following year. Several genomic analyses are ongoing, and metabolomic and genomic integrations will be performed to identify underlying genetic variants, as well as environmental factors that influence metabolites.

Genomic profiling in advanced stage non-small-cell lung cancer patients with platinum-based chemotherapy identifies germline variants with prognostic value in SMYD2.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between germline variations as a prognosis biomarker in patients with advanced Non-Small-Cell-Lung-Cancer (NSCLC) subjected to first-line platinum-based treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We carried out a two-stage genome-wide-association study in non-small-cell lung cancer patients with platinum-based chemotherapy in an exploratory sample of 181 NSCLC patients from Caucasian origin, followed by a validation on 356 NSCLC patients from the same ancestry (Valencia, Spain). RESULTS: We identified germline variants in SMYD2 as a prognostic factor for survival in patients with advanced NSCLC receiving chemotherapy. SMYD2 alleles are associated to a decreased overall survival and with a reduced Time to Progression. In addition, enrichment pathway analysis identified 361 variants in 40 genes to be involved in poorer outcome in advanced-stage NSCLC patients. CONCLUSION: Germline SMYD2 alleles are associated with bad clinical outcome of first-line platinum-based treatment in advanced NSCLC patients. This result supports the role of SMYD2 in the carcinogenic process, and might be used as prognostic signature directing patient stratification and the choice of therapy. MICROABSTRACT: A two-Stage Genome wide association study in Caucasian population reveals germline genetic variation in SMYD2 associated to progression disease in first-line platinum-based treatment in advanced NSCLC patients. SMYD2 profiling might have prognostic / predictive value directing choice of therapy and enlighten current knowledge on pathways involved in human carcinogenesis as well in resistance to chemotherapy.

Resonant Kelvin-Helmholtz modes in sheared relativistic flows.

Certain aspects of the (linear and nonlinear) stability of sheared relativistic (slab) jets are analyzed. The linear problem has been solved for a wide range of jet models well inside the ultrarelativistic domain (flow Lorentz factors up to 20, specific internal energies approximately 60c2). As a distinct feature of our work, we have combined the analytical linear approach with high-resolution relativistic hydrodynamical simulations, which has allowed us (i) to identify, in the linear regime, resonant modes specific to the relativistic shear layer, (ii) to confirm the result of the linear analysis with numerical simulations, and (iii) more interestingly, to follow the instability development through the nonlinear regime. We find that very-high-order reflection modes with dominant growth rates can modify the global, long-term stability of the relativistic flow. We discuss the dependence of these resonant modes on the jet flow Lorentz factor and specific internal energy and on the shear-layer thickness. The results could have potential applications in the field of extragalactic relativistic jets.

Emerging roles of macrosatellite repeats in genome organization and disease development.

Abundant repetitive DNA sequences are an enigmatic part of the human genome. Despite increasing evidence on the functionality of DNA repeats, their biologic role is still elusive and under frequent debate. Macrosatellites are the largest of the tandem DNA repeats, located on one or multiple chromosomes. The contribution of macrosatellites to genome regulation and human health was demonstrated for the D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat array on chromosome 4q35. Reduced copy number of D4Z4 repeats is associated with local euchromatinization and the onset of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Although the role other macrosatellite families may play remains rather obscure, their diverse functionalities within the genome are being gradually revealed. In this review, we will outline structural and functional features of coding and noncoding macrosatellite repeats, and highlight recent findings that bring these sequences into the spotlight of genome organization and disease development.

A comprehensive custom panel design for routine hereditary cancer testing: preserving control, improving diagnostics and revealing a complex variation landscape.

We wanted to implement an NGS strategy to globally analyze hereditary cancer with diagnostic quality while retaining the same degree of understanding and control we had in pre-NGS strategies. To do this, we developed the I2HCP panel, a custom bait library covering 122 hereditary cancer genes. We improved bait design, tested different NGS platforms and created a clinically driven custom data analysis pipeline. The I2HCP panel was developed using a training set of hereditary colorectal cancer, hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and neurofibromatosis patients and reached an accuracy, analytical sensitivity and specificity greater than 99%, which was maintained in a validation set. I2HCP changed our diagnostic approach, involving clinicians and a genetic diagnostics team from panel design to reporting. The new strategy improved diagnostic sensitivity, solved uncertain clinical diagnoses and identified mutations in new genes. We assessed the genetic variation in the complete set of hereditary cancer genes, revealing a complex variation landscape that coexists with the disease-causing mutation. We developed, validated and implemented a custom NGS-based strategy for hereditary cancer diagnostics that improved our previous workflows. Additionally, the existence of a rich genetic variation in hereditary cancer genes favors the use of this panel to investigate their role in cancer risk.

Analysis of apoptosis protein expression in early-stage colorectal cancer suggests opportunities for new prognostic biomarkers.

PURPOSE: Although most stage II colon cancers are potentially curable by surgery alone, approximately 20% of patients relapse, suggesting a need for establishing prognostic markers that can identify patients who may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. We tested the hypothesis that differences in expression of apoptosis-regulating proteins account for differences in clinical outcome among patients with early-stage colorectal cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Tissue microarray technology was employed to assay the expression of apoptosis-regulating proteins by immunohistochemistry in 106 archival stage II colorectal cancers, making correlations with disease-specific survival. The influence of microsatellite instability (MSI), tumor location (left versus right side), patient age, and gender was also examined. RESULTS: Elevated expression of several apoptosis regulators significantly correlated with either shorter (cIAP2; TUCAN) or longer (Apaf1; Bcl-2) overall survival in univariate and multivariate analyses. These biomarkers retained prognostic significance when adjusting for MSI, tumor location, patient age, and gender. Moreover, certain combinations of apoptosis biomarkers were highly predictive of death risk from cancer. For example, 97% of patients with favorable tumor phenotype of cIAP2(low) plus TUCAN(low) were alive at 5 years compared with 60% of other patients (P = 0.00003). In contrast, only 37% of patients with adverse biomarkers (Apaf1(low) plus TUCAN(high)) survived compared with 83% of others at 5 years after diagnosis (P< 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Immunohistochemical assays directed at detection of certain combinations of apoptosis proteins may provide prognostic information for patients with early-stage colorectal cancer, and therefore could help to identify patients who might benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy or who should be spared it.