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World J Gastroenterol. Mar 14, 2008; 14(10): 1570-1574
Published online Mar 14, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.1570
Mutations in components of the Wnt signaling pathway in gastric cancer
Kai-Feng Pan, Wan-Guo Liu, Lian Zhang, Wei-Cheng You, You-Yong Lu
Kai-Feng Pan, Lian Zhang, Wei-Cheng You, Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Peking University School of Oncology and Beijing Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100036, China
Wan-Guo Liu, Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic/Mayo Medical School, Rochester 55905, United States
You-Yong Lu, Beijing Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Peking University School of Oncology and Beijing Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100036, China
Author contributions: Pan KF, Liu WG, and Lu YY designed the research; Pan KF, Liu WG, Zhang L, You WC, and Lu YY performed the research; Pan KF, and Liu WG analyzed the data; and Pan KF, Liu WG, You WC, and Lu YY wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: You-Yong Lu, Peking University School of Oncology, No. 52 Fu-Cheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100036, China. yongylu@public.bta.net.cn
Telephone: +86-10-88196765
Fax: +86-10-88122437
Received: November 9, 2007
Revised: November 16, 2007
Published online: March 14, 2008
Abstract

AIM: To explore the contribution of AXIN1, AXIN2 and beta-catenin, components of Wnt signaling pathway, to the carcinogenesis of gastric cancer (GC), we examined AXIN1, AXIN2 exon7 and CTNNB1 (encoding beta-catenin) exon3 mutations in 70 GCs.

METHODS: The presence of mutations was identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography and direct DNA sequencing. Beta-catenin expression was detected by immunohistochemical analysis.

RESULTS: Among the 70 GCs, 5 (7.1%) had mutations in one or two of these three components. A frameshift mutation (1 bp deletion) in exon7 of AXIN2 was found in one case. Four cases, including the case with a mutation in AXIN2, had frameshift mutations and missense mutations in AXIN1. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 334 C>T, 874 C>T, 1396 G>A, 1690 C>T and 1942 T>G, were identified in AXIN1. A frameshift mutation (27 bp deletion) spanning exon3 of CTNNB1 was observed in one case. All four cases with mutations in AXIN1 and AXIN2 showed nuclear beta-catenin expression.

CONCLUSION: These data indicate that the mutations in AXIN1 and AXIN2 may contribute to gastric carcinogenesis.

Keywords: AXIN1; AXIN2; β-catenin; Wnt signaling pathway; Gastric cancer