WWOX gene may contribute to progression of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide and, like many other cancers, is affected by different genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. The WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) gene is a tumor-suppressor gene located on chromosome 16q23.3-24.1, and it has been shown that it loses its function due to alterations in genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between lung cancer and WWOX gene. Tumor tissue samples, corresponding normal tissues, and blood samples obtained from 50 lung cancer patients were involved in the study. We analyzed methylation profile by methylation-specific PCR and mutations and polymorphisms by DNA sequencing. Methylation analysis showed that promoter hypermethylation was present in 38 of 50 (76%) patients. In addition, promoter region of WWOX gene of younger patients was more frequently methylated than older patients. Using DNA sequencing, we found four genetic alterations in WWOX gene. Two of them were germline mutations (Exon 4 and 7), and two of them were polymorphic (Exon 6 and 8). We found a new mutation in exon 7 (Arg-254-->Cys) which has not been described previously. The changes in the short-chain dehydrogenase domain of the protein caused by the genetic alterations may affect the function of the gene. We conclude that hypermethylation of WWOX gene promoter region and mutations in the gene might be related to lung carcinogenesis.