Molecular events underlying schistosomiasis-related bladder cancer

Twenty-one invasive squamous-cell carcinomas (SCC) of the bladder from Schistosoma-hematobium-infected patients were examined immunohistochemically for the expression of p53, Rb, EGFR and c-erbB-2 proteins; and screened by single-strand conformation polymorphism and sequencing for mutations in the ras (H, N, K) codon hotspots (12, 13, 61) and p53 (exons 4-9) genes. Positive staining for p53, EGFR and c-erbB-2 was reported in 38, 67 and 28% of tumors respectively. Only one of the tumors, the only one that was poorly differentiated, displayed an absence of nuclear Rb staining. Ras alterations were detected in the H-ras gene in 3 tumors, 2 of which harbored a codon-13 (Gly-->Arg) and one a codon-12 (Gly-->Ser) point mutation. p53 mutations were recorded in 12 tumors (57%), 6 of which stained positively for p53. Four tumors had exon-7 mutations (codons 235, 241 and 249; one tumor had 2 exon-7 mutations). Eight tumors were mutated in exon 8 (codons 264, 271, 273, 285, 286, 288 and 294), 5 of which harbored multiple mutations. One tumor had an insertion/deletion event in exon 9. The frequency of detection of over-expression of EGFR and c-erbB-2 in bilharzial-bladder lesions is comparable to that reported in TCC, contrasting with the infrequent loss of Rb expression found in invasive lesions associated with schistosomiasis infection. However, the detection of multiple p53 mutations in these lesions is suggestive of the involvement of a carcinogenic agent with maintenance of preferential activation of the H-ras gene.