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Partial allelotype of schistosomiasis-associated bladder cancer.
1Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Marie Curie Research Institute, The Chart, Oxted, UK.
International Journal of Cancer
|February 27, 1999
Summary
Schistosomiasis-associated bladder cancers in Egypt show frequent genetic alterations, particularly on chromosome 9p. These findings suggest a specific gene on 9p, possibly CDKN2, plays a key role in the development of these tumors.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Genetics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Schistosoma haematobium infection is endemic in Egypt and the Middle East, leading to bladder cancer as the most common adult malignancy.
- Bladder cancers in this region predominantly present as squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC), unlike the transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC) common in Western countries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate genetic alterations in schistosomiasis-associated bladder tumors.
- To compare the genetic profiles of these tumors with those found in TCC from the UK and US.
Main Methods:
- A partial allelotype analysis was performed on 70 bladder tumors from patients with schistosomiasis.
- Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was assessed across multiple chromosome arms, including 3p, 4p, 4q, 8p, 9p, 9q, 11p, 11q, 13q, 14q, 17p, and 18q.
Main Results:
- LOH was detected on all studied chromosome arms.
- The most frequent LOH regions were 9p (65%), 17p (58%), 3p (40%), 9q (39%), and 8p (37%).
- High frequency of 9p LOH, particularly in the CDKN2 gene region (65%), was observed, contrasting with lower 9q LOH (39%). LOH on 17p (TP53) and 8p was more common in Egyptian TCC than SCC.
Conclusions:
- A gene on chromosome 9p, potentially CDKN2, may be crucial in the development of most schistosomiasis-associated bladder tumors.
- Genes on chromosome 9q appear to play a less significant role in the pathogenesis of these tumors.
- Distinct genetic profiles exist between schistosomiasis-associated bladder cancers and Western TCCs.