Reduced FHIT expression is associated with tumor progression in sporadic colon adenocarcinoma

Tumor supressor gene FHIT was identified at chromosome 3p14.2 spanning the FRA3B fragile site and is very often inactivated in different types of cancer. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of FHIT gene LOH as well as FHIT mRNA and protein expression in sporadic colon adenocarcinoma.

The results of LOH, real-time qRT-PCR and imunohistochemical analyses were correlated with clinico-pathological characteristics of patients and their tumors in order to evaluate the role of FHIT gene/protein in sporadic colon adenocarcinoma tumorigenesis.

One hundred and thirty one (96.3%) samples were informative for both markers and 33/131 (25.2%) demonstrated LOH. Expression of FHIT mRNA was significantly decreased in colon tumors relative to that in corresponding normal tissue (p = 7.2×10(-6)). Most of the samples (54.0%) were negative for FHIT protein, 26.4% adenocarcinomas showed a weak to moderate immunostaining and 19.6% adenocarcinomas showed strong FHIT immunostaining. No correlation was found between FHIT gene LOH status, mRNA expression or FHIT protein immunostaining and clinico-pathological characteristics. Expression of FHIT mRNA was significantly decreased in FHIT LOH positive tumors (p = 0.027). Patients with LOH negative tumors or FHIT protein positive tumors had longer survival but this findings were not statistically significant.

Our overall results suggest that reduced expression of FHIT gene may be associated with the progression of these malignant tumors.