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Expression of RASSF1A gene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Hong Peng1, Tong Zhao, Kai-tai Yao
1Department of Otolaryngology, Nanfang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. penghong@fimmu.com
Objective:
To investigate the role of RASSF1A gene in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
Methods:
RASSF1A gene expression was examined by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptional-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 32 specimens of poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma from patients with primary NPC, 16 specimens of histologically normal nasopharyngeal epithelia, and 4 NPC cell lines (CNE1, CNE2, HNE1, HNE2). The loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosome 3p21.3 was detected using D3S4604 microsatellite marker in NPC.
Results:
Reduction in the expression level of RASSF1A was significantly lower in NPC than in normal nasopharyngeal epithelium(P=0.001). Allelic delection (LOH) on 3p21.3 was assessed in 43.75% of the NPC specimens. However, there was no evidence to demonstrate the relationship between RASSF1A expression and the patient's age, gender, and some clinical features such as lymph node metastasis, TNM stage and serum titer of EBV (VCA/IgA) antibody (P>0.05). The expression of RASSF1A was reduced in NPC specimens from NPC patients with distant metastasis compared with that of patients without distant metastasis (P=0.014).
Conclusion:
Down-regulated RASSF1A gene expression might be an event in the later stages of the tumorigenesis of NPC, and the 3p21 region may contain tumor suppressor genes that are could be deeply involved in the tumorigenesis of NPC.