• Molecules and Cells
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.364-371
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• 2007

The tumor suppressor gene Ras association domain family 1A (RASSF1A) is highly methylated in a wide range of human sporadic tumors. The current study investigated the hypermethylation of RASSF1A, the expression of RASSF1A protein, and the correlation between these and the clinicopathological features of gallbladder (GB) cancer in Korean patients. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumors and non-neoplastic GB tissues (22 carcinomas, 8 adenomas, 26 normal epithelia) were collected from patients who had undergone surgical resection. The methylation status of two regions of the RASSF1A CpG island was determined by methylation-specific PCR (MSP), and the expression of RASSF1A protein was examined by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarrays. The K-RAS mutation was analyzed by direct sequencing. Methylation of the RASSF1A promoter (region 1) was detected in 22.7% (5/22) of carcinomas, 12.5% (1/8) of adenomas, and 0% (0/26) of normal gallbladder epithelia (P = 0.025). Methylation of the first exon (region 2) was found in 36.4% (8/22) of carcinomas, 25.0% (2/8) of adenomas, and 8.0% (2/26) of normal gallbladder epithelia (P = 0.038). K-RAS mutations were present in 4.5% (1/22) of carcinomas and 25% (2/8) of adenomas. RASSF1A methylaton was not associated with clinicopathological factors or K-ras mutation. Reduction or loss of RASSF1A expression was observed in most methylated adenocarcinomas. Three RASSF1A-expressing human biliary tract cancer cell lines examined contained unmethylated promoters and exons 1. These results suggest that downregulation of RASSF1A expression by DNA hypermethylation may be involved in GB carcinogenesis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권9호
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• pp.3921-3925
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• 2014

RASSF1A has been reported to be a candidate tumor suppressor in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the association between RASSF1A promoter methylation and ESCC remains unclear. Eligible studies were identified through searching PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, and the China National Knowledge Infrastucture database. Studies were pooled and odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Funnel plots were also performed to evaluate publication bias. Twelve studies involving 859 cases and 675 controls were included in this meta-analysis. A significant association was observed between RASSF1A methylation and ESCC overall (OR = 11.7, 95% CI: 6.59-20.9, z=8.36, P<0.00001). Subgroup analysis showed that the OR for heterogeneous tissues was 5.35 (95% CI = 2.95-9.71) while for autologous tissues it was 16.0 (8.31-30.96). For patient sample size, the OR for the <50 subgroup was 9.92 (95% CI = 2.88-34.2) and for the 50 case group was 13.1 (95% CI = 6.59-25.91). The OR for a relationship between RASSF1A methylation and TNM stages was 0.27 (95% CI=0.10-0.77), whereas there were no significant differences in RASSF1A methylation in relation to gender and differentiation among ESCC cases. This meta-analysis suggests a significant association between RASSF1A methylation and ESCC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권12호
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• pp.7713-7718
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• 2013

DNA methylation is considered a promising biomarkers for diagnosis of cancer in general and of ovarian cancer in particular. In our study, we validated the accuracy of methylation specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) to analyze the methylation pattern of BRCA1, RASSF1A and ER in 59 and 10 Vietnamese patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and benign ovarian tumors, respectively. We found methylation of BRCA1, RASSF1A and ER in 11/59 (18.6%), 40/59 (67.8%) and 15/59 (25.4%) of EOC cases, while methylation of BRCA1 was only detected in 2/10 (20%) benign ovarian patients. Forty five out of the 59 EOCs (78%) demonstrated methylation at one or more genes. The methylation frequency of RASSF1A was significantly associated with EOC (p<0.0005). No significant association was observed between methylation status of these genes and the clinical and pathological parameters of tumors collected from Vietnamese women suffering from ovarian cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권11호
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• pp.4665-4669
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• 2015

The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of RASSF1A methylation in renal cell carcinoma. Systematically search were performed using the Pubmed, ProQest and Web of Science for all articles on the association between RASSF1A methylation and renal cell carcinoma before 15 April 2015. After the filtration, 13 studies involving 677 cases and 497 controls met our criteria. Our meta-analysis suggested that hypermethylation of RASSF1A gene was associated with the increased risk of RCC(OR:4.14, 95%CI:1.06-16.1). Stratified analyses showed a similar risk in qualitative detection method(OR:28.4, 95%CI:10.2-79.6), body fluid sample(OR:12.8, 95%CI:5.35-30.8), and American(OR:10.5, 95%CI:1.97-55.9). Our result identified that RASSF1A methylation had a strong potential in prediction the risk of Renal cell carcinoma.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권8호
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• pp.3691-3698
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• 2014

Background: Published studies on the association between the Ras Association Domain Family 1 isoform A (RASSF1A) Ala133Ser polymorphism and cancer susceptibility have yielded conflicting results. Thus, a meta-analysis was here performed to assess the possible association. Materials and Methods: All eligible case-control studies published up to November 2013 on the association between RASSF1A Ala133Ser polymorphism and cancer susceptibility were identified by searching PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct and hand search. Bothfixed-effect and random-effect models were used to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software version 2.2. Results: A total of 10 studies including 4,572 cancer cases and 4,320 controls were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, significantly increased cancer risk was associated with the variant Ser133 when all studies were pooled (Ser vs Ala: OR=1.51, 95% CI=1.08-2.12, $P_{heterogeneity}{\leq}0.001$; Ser/Ser+Ala/Ser vs Ala/Ala: OR=1.55, 95% CI=1.08-2.22, $P_{heterogeneity}{\leq}0.001$). Moreover, in subgroup analyses by cancer types, a significant association between RASSF1A Ala133Ser polymorphism and lung cancer risk was found (Ser vs Ala: OR=2.27, 95% CI=1.29-4.02, $P_{heterogeneity}$=0.61; Ser/Ser+Ala/Ser vs Ala/Ala: OR=2.42, 95% CI=1.33-4.42, $P_{heterogeneity}=0.75$). In addition, in subgroup analyses by ethnicity, it was found that the RASSF1A Ala133Ser polymorphism was associated with overall cancer risk in Asians (Ser vs Ala: OR=1.37, 95% CI=1.06-1.77, $P_{heterogeneity}=0.06$) and Caucasians (Ser/Ser+Ala/Ser vs Ala/Ala: OR=2.21, 95% CI=1.01-4.82, $P_{heterogeneity}{\leq}0.001$). Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests, for the first time, that RASSF1A Ala133Ser polymorphism may contribute to cancer susceptibility, especially for lung cancer. Besides, additional well-designed studies with larger sample size focusing on different ethnicities and cancer types are needed to confirm these findings.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권6호
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• pp.3719-3724
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• 2013

Background: RASSF1A has been reported to be a candidate tumor suppressor in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the association between RASSF1A promoter methylation and NSCLC remains unclear, particularly in regarding links to clinicopathologic features. Methods: Eligible studies were identified through searching PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. Studies were pooled and odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Funnel plots were also performed to evaluate publication bias. Results: Nineteen studies involving 2,063 cases of NSCLC and 1,184 controls were included in this meta-analysis. A significant association was observed between RASSF1A methylation and NSCLC in the complete data set (OR = 19.42, 95% CI: 14.04-26.85, P < 0.001). Pooling the control tissue subgroups (heterogeneous/autologous) gave pooled ORs of 32.4 (95% CI, 12.4-84.5) and 17.7 (95% CI, 12.5-25.0) respectively. Racial subgroup (Caucasian/Asian) analysis gave pooled ORs of 26.6 (95% CI, 10.9-64.9) and 20.9 (95% CI, 14.4-30.4) respectively. The OR for RASSF1A methylation in poorly-differentiated vs. moderately/well-differentiated NSCLC tissues was 1.88 (95% CI, 1.32-2.68, P<0.001), whereas there were no significant differences in RASSF1A methylation in relation to gender, pathology, TNM stage and smoking behavior among NSCLC cases. Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests a significant association between RASSF1A methylation and NSCLC, confirming the role of RASSF1A as a tumor suppressor gene. Large-scale and well-designed case-control studies are needed to validate the associations identified in the present meta-analysis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권14호
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• pp.5917-5920
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• 2014

Background: This study aimed to explore the effects of ras association domain family 1 A (RASSF1A) on proliferation and apoptosis of human cervical cancer cell line Hela cells. Materials and Methods: RASSF1A was cloned into the pcDNA3.1(+) vector to generate pcDNA3.1(+)-RASSF1A plasmid for transfection into Hela cells. Changes in the proliferation and apoptosis of cultured Hela cells were examined by the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium chloride assay and flow cytometry. A protein array was used to analyze the expression of apoptotic factors. Results: Plasmid pcDNA3.1(+)-RASSF1A was generated and transfected into Hela cells to stably express RASSF1A in Hela cells. RASSF1A transfection was effective in inhibiting the proliferation of Hela cells up to 52.4%, as compared to cells transfected with an empty plasmid. RASSF1A expression also successfully induced apoptosis in human cervical cells with an apoptosis rate of 20.5%. More importantly, protein array results showed that RASSF1 A transfection induced overexpression of p21 and caspase 8, while decreasing the expression of survivin in Hela cells. Conclusions: RASSF1A expression was effective in suppressing the proliferation and increasing apoptosis of Hela cells, and may be a potential therapy for cervical cancer in clinic.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.1171-1176
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• 2014

Objective: The tumor suppressor gene, Ras-association domain family (RASSF)2A, is inactivated by promoter hypermethylation in many cancers. The current study was performed to evaluate the methylation status of RASSF2A in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) tissues and plasma, and correlations with gene expression and clinicopathologic characteristics. Method: We detected methylation of the RASSF2A gene in tissues and corresponding plasma samples from 47 EOC patients and 14 patients with benign ovarian tumors and 10 with normal ovarian tissues. The methylation status was determined by methylation-specific PCR while gene expression of mRNA was examined by RT-PCR. The EOC cell line, SKOV3, was treated with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-azadC). Results: RASSF2A mRNA expression was significantly low in EOC tissues. The frequency of aberrant methylation of RASSF2A was 51.1% in EOC tissues and 36.2% in corresponding plasma samples, whereas such hypermethylation was not detected in the benign ovarial tumors and normal ovarian samples. The expression of RASSF2A mRNA was significantly down-regulated or lost in the methylated group compared to the unmethylated group (p<0.05). After treatment with 5-aza-dC, RASSF2A mRNA expression was significantly restored in the Skov3 cell line. Conclusion: Epigenetic inactivation of RASSF2A through aberrant promoter methylation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of EOC. Methylation of the RASSF2A gene in plasma may be a valuable molecular marker for the early detection of EOC.

• 한국식품영양과학회지
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.54-63
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• 2010

Flavonoid 계열의 한 종류인 baicalin은 항염증, 항암, 항바이러스, 항세균 등의 효능을 가진다. 본 연구진은 선행연구를 통한 이전의 보고에서 baiclain이 adipogenesis pathway(지방세포 형성 경로)의 anti-adipogenic(지방세포 형성억제)과 pro-adipogenic(지방세포 형성 유도) factor들을 조절함으로써 비만 및 adipogenesis를 억제함을 밝혔다. 본 연구에서는, microarray 기술을 이용하여 3T3-L1 세포에서 baiclain이 유도하는 지방세포 형성 억제 효과에 대한 분자적 기작을 보다 상세하게 연구하고자 하였다. 지방세포의 분화 시간(0일, 2일, 4일 및 7일)과 분화 시 baicalin의 처리 유무에 따라 유전자 발현 양상을 분석하기 위해 해당 시료들을 microarray에 적용하였다. Microarray 결과로부터 2배이상의 변화가 있는 3972개의 유전자를 확보하였다. 그 유전자들의 발현 양상을 좀 더 자세히 살펴보기 위해 hierarchical clustering 분석을 진행하였고 그 결과로 20개의 cluster를 분류할 수 있었다. 그들 중 4개의 cluster는 분화의 전반적인 기간에서 baicalin의 첨가에 의해 뚜렷하게 상승(cluster 8과 cluster 10)하거나 반대로 뚜렷하게 감소(cluster 12와 cluster 14)하는 양상을 보였다. Cluster 8과 cluster 10에는 CHOP(CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein), INSIG1(insulin induced gene 1), WISP2(WNT1 inducible signaling pathway protein 2), ADM(adrenomedullin), CCND2(cyclin D2), GRN(granulin) 및 TGFB3(transforming growth factor, beta 3)과 같은 세포 증식과 지방세포 형성 억제를 상승시키는 유전자들이 다수 포함되었다. 반대로 cluster 12와 cluster 14에는 세포 증식 억제, 세포 주기 억제 및 세포 성장 억제와 연관되거나 지방세포를 유도하는 유전자인 LTA(lympotoxin A), ACADSB(acyl-Coenzyme A dehydrogenase, short/branched chain), HMGCS2(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-Coenzyme A synthase 2), IGFBP7(insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7), MERTK(c-merproto-oncogene tyrosine kinase), RASSF2(ras association(RalGDS/AF-6) domain family 2), RHOU(ras homolog gene family, member U) 및 SESN1(sestrin1) 등이 포함되었다. 결론적으로 baicalin은 세포 증식 및 지방세포 형성과 연관된 유전자들을 조절함으로써 지방세포의 분화를 억제하는 것으로 사료된다. 이러한 결과는 baicalin이 유도하는 지방세포 형성 억제 및 비만 억제 효과의 분자적 기작에 대한 중요한 정보를 제시한다.