Genetic instability in cancer tissues analyzed by random amplified polymorphic DNA PCR

OBJECTIVE: To detect DNA and chromosomes instabilities during the progression of tumors and screen new molecular markers coupled to putative or unknown oncogenes and/or tumor suppressor genes. METHODS: Five kinds of tumors, in a total of 128 specimens, were analyzed by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) PCR. Bands representing instabilities were recovered, purified, and cloned, labeled as probes for Southern and Northern blot analysis and DNA sequencing. RESULTS: Sample 5 and 3 of the gastric cancer tissues showed the highest genomic changes and the average detectability in five cancers was up to at least 40% (42.2% - 49.4%). There were significant differences in the ability of each primer to detect genomic instability, which ranged from 27% (primer 8) to 68% (primer 2). Band B is a single copy fragment, and was found to be an allelic loss in gastric and colon cancers. It is a novel sequence and was registered in GenBank with Accession Number AF151005. Further analysis revealed that it might be part of a cis-regulatory element of a new tumor suppressor gene, containing a promoter of cis-action 'CACA' box, an enhancer of 'GATA' family and a start codon. CONCLUSIONS: It was impossible or difficult to get great achievements for cancer treatments with the procedure of gene therapy only to one oncogene or one tumor suppressor gene because the extensive DNA variations occurred during the progression of tumor. RAPD assay connected with other techniques was a good tool for the detection of genomic instabilities and direct screening of some new molecular markers related to tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes.

Neither gastric topological distribution nor principle virulence genes of Helicobacter pylori contributes to clinical outcomes

AIM: Studies on Helicobacter pylori (H pylon) and gastroduodenal diseases have focused mainly on the distal sites of the stomach, but relationship with the gastric cardia is lacking. The aim of this study is to determine if the gastric topology and genotypic distribution of Hpyloriwere associated with different upper gastrointestinal pathologies in a multiethnic Asian population. METHODS: Gastric biopsies from the cardia, body/corpus and antrum were endoscoped from a total of 155 patients with dyspepsia and/or reflux symptoms, with informed consent. H pylori isolates obtained were tested for the presence of 26kDa, ureC, cagA, vacA, iceA1, iceA2 and babA2 genes using PCR while DNA fingerprints were generated using random amplification polymorphic DNA (RAPD). RESULTS: Hpyloriwas present in 51/155 (33%) of patients studied. Of these, 16, 15 and 20 were isolated from patients with peptic ulcer diseases, gastroesophageal reflux diseases and non-ulcer dyspepsia, respectively. Of the Hpyloripositive patients, 75% (38/51) had Hpyloriin all three gastric sites. The prevalence of various genes in the H pylori isolates was shown to be similar irrespective of their colonization sites as well as among the same site of different patients. The RAPD profiles of H pylori isolates from different gastric sites were highly similar among intra-patients but varied greatly between different patients. CONCLUSION: Topographic colonization of H pylori and the virulence genes harboured by these isolates have no direct bearing to the clinical state of the patients. In multiethnic Singapore, the stomach of each patient is colonized by a predominant strain of H pylori，irrespective of the clinical diagnosis.