Silenced expression of NFKBIA in lung adenocarcinoma patients with a never-smoking history

Acta Med Okayama. 2013;67(1):19-24. doi: 10.18926/AMO/49253.

Abstract

Nuclear factor of κ-light polypeptide gene enhancer in B cells inhibitor α (NFKBIA), which is a tumor suppressor gene, was found to be silenced in lung adenocarcinomas. We examined NFKBIA expression, mutations in the EGFR and K-ras genes, and EML4-ALK fusion in 101 resected lung adenocarcinoma samples from never-smokers. NFKBIA expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistry. NFKBIA expression was negative in 16 of the 101 samples (15.8%). EGFR and K-ras mutations and EML4-ALK fusion were detected in 61 (60.5%), 1 (1.0%), and 2 (2.0%) of the 101 samples, respectively, in a completely mutually exclusive manner. Negative NFKBIA expression was observed significantly more frequently among the tumors with none of the three genetic alterations compared to those with such alterations (p = 0.009). In addition, negative NFKBIA expression was significantly more frequent among the EGFR-wild type samples compared to the EGFR-mutant samples (p = 0.013). In conclusion, NFKBIA expression was silenced in adenocarcinomas without EGFR/K-ras mutations or EML4-ALK fusion, suggesting that the silencing of NFKBIA may play an important role in the carcinogenesis of adenocarcinomas independent of EGFR/K-ras mutations or EML4-ALK fusion.

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics*
  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • DNA Methylation
  • ErbB Receptors / genetics
  • Female
  • Gene Silencing*
  • Humans
  • I-kappa B Proteins / analysis
  • I-kappa B Proteins / genetics*
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation
  • NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
  • Smoking / adverse effects
  • ras Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • EML4-ALK fusion protein, human
  • I-kappa B Proteins
  • KRAS protein, human
  • NFKBIA protein, human
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha
  • ErbB Receptors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
  • ras Proteins