Candidate Gene Analysis Using Imputed Genotypes: Cell Cycle Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Ovarian Cancer Risk
CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY BIOMARKERS & PREVENTION
Authors: Goode, Ellen L.; Fridley, Brooke L.; Vierkant, Robert A.; Cunningham, Julie M.; Phelan, Catherine M.; Anderson, Stephanie; Rider, David N.; White, Kristin L.; Pankratz, V. Shane; Song, Honglin; Hogdall, Estrid; Kjaer, Susanne K.; Whittemore, Alice S.; DiCioccio, Richard; Ramus, Susan J.; Gayther, Simon A.; Schildkraut, Joellen M.; Pharaoh, Paul P. D.; Sellers, Thomas A.
Abstract
Polymorphisms in genes critical to cell cycle control are outstanding candidates for association with ovarian cancer risk; numerous genes have been interrogated by multiple research groups using differing tagging single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sets. To maximize information gleaned from existing genotype data, we conducted a combined analysis of five independent studies of invasive epithelial ovarian cancer. Up to 2,120 cases and 3,382 controls were genotyped in the course of two collaborations at a variety of SNPs in 11 cell cycle genes (CDKN2C, CDKN1A, CCND3, CCND1, CCND2, CDKN1B, CDK2, CDK4, RB1, CDKN2D, and CCNE1) and one gene region (CDKN2A-CDKN2B). Because of the semi-overlapping nature of the 123 assayed tagging SNPs, we performed multiple imputation based on fastPHASE using data from White non-Hispanic study participants and participants in the international Hap-Map Consortium and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences SNPs Program. Logistic regression assuming a log-additive model was done on combined and imputed data. We observed strengthened signals in imputation-based analyses at several SNPs, particularly CDKN2A-CDKN2B rs3731239; CCND1 rs602652, rs3212879, rs649392, and rs3212891; CDK2 rs2069391, rs2069414, and rs17528736; and CCNE1 rs3218036. These results exemplify the utility of imputation in candidate gene studies and lend evidence to a role of cell cycle genes in ovarian cancer etiology, suggest a reduced set of SNPs to target in additional cases and controls. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(3):935-44)
Cyclin E1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 are critical for initiation, but not for progression of hepatocellular carcinoma
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Authors: Sonntag, Roland; Giebeler, Nives; Nevzorova, Yulia A.; Bangen, Joerg-Martin; Fahrenkamp, Dirk; Lambertz, Daniela; Haas, Ute; Hu, Wei; Gassier, Nikolaus; Cubero, Francisco Javier; Mueller-Newen, Gerhard; Abdallan, Ali T.; Weiskirchen, Ralf; Ticconi, Fabio; Costa, Ivan G.; Barbacid, Mariano; Trautwein, Christian; Liedtke, Christian
Abstract
E-type cyclins E1 (CcnE1) and E2 (CcnE2) are regulatory subunits of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2) and thought to control the transition of quiescent cells into the cell cycle. Initial findings indicated that CcnE1 and CcnE2 have largely overlapping functions for cancer development in several tumor entities including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, we dissected the differential contributions of CcnE1, CcnE2, and Cdk2 for initiation and progression of HCC in mice and patients. To this end, we tested the HCC susceptibility in mice with constitutive deficiency for CcnE1 or CcnE2 as well as in mice lacking Cdk2 in hepatocytes. Genetic inactivation of CcnE1 largely prevented development of liver cancer in mice in two established HCC models, while ablation of CcnE2 had no effect on hepatocarcinogenesis. Importantly, CcnE1-driven HCC initiation was dependent on Cdk2. However, isolated primary hepatoma cells typically acquired independence on CcnEl and Cdk2 with increasing progression in vitro, which was associated with a gene signature involving secondary induction of CcnE2 and up-regulation of cell cycle and DNA repair pathways. Importantly, a similar expression profile was also found in HCC patients with elevated CcnE2 expression and poor survival. In general, overall survival in HCC patients was synergistically affected by expression of CcnE1 and CcnE2, but not through Cdk2. Our study suggests that HCC initiation specifically depends on CcnE1 and Cdk2, while HCC progression requires expression of any E-cyclin, but no Cdk2.