Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nonmelanoma skin cancers [squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and basal cell carcinomas (BCC)] are the most common neoplasias of the Caucasian population.
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of our study was to determine the involvement of CDKN2A genes in the development of sporadic nonmelanoma skin cancer in Greek patients.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Allelic imbalance analysis was performed in 22 SCC and five Bowen's disease specimens. Mutational analysis was performed on exons 1alpha, 1beta and 2 of the CDKN2A locus in 22 SCC, five Bowen's disease and 39 BCC specimens. Exon 1alpha was additionally screened in 28 BCC specimens to complete the mutational analysis of a previous study.
RESULTS: Overall, 52% (14 of 27) of the SCC and Bowen's disease specimens exhibited loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in at least one microsatellite marker, whereas, only two of 27 (7%) exhibited microsatellite instability. LOH in 9p appears to be equally involved in both BCC and SCC tumours. Exons 1alpha, 1beta and 2 of the CDKN2A locus were screened for mutations. A Val28Gly substitution in exon 1alpha and a CCC-->TTT (Ala57Val and Arg58Ter) substitution in exon 2, resulting in a change in the amino acid sequence, are reported for the first time in two SCCs, the latter being indicative of a combination of an ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced mutation and a point mutation. A previously described polymorphism of CDKN2A, the gene for p16INK4a, Ala148Thr, was also detected in an allelic frequency of 3.72%. No mutation was found in any of the five Bowen's disease specimens, or in exon 1beta of CDKN2A, also the gene for p14ARF.
CONCLUSIONS: Mutations and the high incidence of 9p LOH detected in our SCC samples imply that inactivation of CDKN2A genes, via allelic loss and/or mutation (probably UV-induced) may play a significant role in nonmelanoma skin cancer development, particularly in the more aggressive SCC type.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 638-48 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | The British journal of dermatology |
Volume | 148 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Apr 2003 |
Keywords
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Bowen's Disease/genetics
- Carcinoma, Basal Cell/genetics
- Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/genetics
- DNA Mutational Analysis
- DNA, Neoplasm/genetics
- Female
- Genes, p16
- Humans
- Loss of Heterozygosity
- Male
- Microsatellite Repeats
- Middle Aged
- Mutation
- Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational
- Skin Neoplasms/genetics