Background-Mutations in the plakophilin-2 gene (PKP2) have been found in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Hence, genetic screening can potentially be a valuable tool in the diagnostic workup of patients with ARVC. Methods and Results-To establish the prevalence and character of PKP2 mutations and to study potential differences in the associated phenotype, we evaluated 96 index patients, including 56 who fulfilled the published task force criteria. In addition, 114 family members from 34 of these 56 ARVC index patients were phenotyped. In 24 of these 56 ARVC patients (43%), 14 different (11 novel) PKP2 mutations were identified. Four different mutations were found more than once; haplotype analyses revealed identical haplotypes in the different mutation carriers, suggesting founder mutations. No specific genotype-phenotype correlations could be identified, except that negative T waves in V 2 and V 3 occurred more often in PKP2 mutation carriers (PϽ0.05). Of the 34 index patients whose family members were phenotyped, 23 familial cases were identified. PKP2 mutations were identified in 16 of these 23 ARVC index patients (70%) with familial ARVC. On the other hand, no PKP2 mutations at all were found in 11 probands without additional affected family members (PϽ0.001). Conclusions-PKP2 mutations can be identified in nearly half of the Dutch patients fulfilling the ARVC criteria. In familial ARVC, even the vast majority (70%) is caused by PKP2 mutations. However, nonfamilial ARVC is not related to PKP2. The high yield of mutational analysis in familial ARVC is unique in inherited cardiomyopathies. (Circulation.

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is an autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by hamartomatous polyps in the gastrointestinal tract and by pigmented macules of the lips, buccal mucosa, and digits. Less appreciated is the fact that PJS also predisposes patients to an increased risk of gastrointestinal cancer, and pancreatic cancer has been reported in many PJS patients. It was recently shown that germline mutations of the STK11/LKB1 gene are responsible for PJS. We investigated the role of STK11/LKB1 in the development of pancreatic and biliary cancer in patients with and without the PJS. In a PJS patient having a germline splice site mutation in the STK11/LKB1 gene, sequencing analysis of an intestinal polyp and pancreatic cancer from this patient revealed loss of the wild-type allele of the STK11/LKB1 gene in the cancer. Inactivation of STK11/LKB1, by homozygous deletions or somatic sequence mutations coupled with loss of heterozygosity, was also demonstrated in 4-6% of 127 sporadic pancreatic and biliary adenocarcinomas. Our results demonstrate that germline and somatic genetic alterations of the STK11/LKB1 gene may play a causal role in carcinogenesis and that the same gene contributes to the development of both sporadic and familial forms of cancer.

Background: In patients with juvenile polyposis syndrome (JPS) the frequency of large genomic deletions in the SMAD4 and BMPR1A genes was unknown. Methods: Mutation and phenotype analysis was used in 80 unrelated patients of whom 65 met the clinical criteria for JPS (typical JPS) and 15 were suspected to have JPS. Results: By direct sequencing of the two genes, point mutations were identified in 30 patients (46% of typical JPS). Using MLPA, large genomic deletions were found in 14% of all patients with typical JPS (six deletions in SMAD4 and three deletions in BMPR1A). Mutation analysis of the PTEN gene in the remaining 41 mutation negative cases uncovered a point mutation in two patients (5%). SMAD4 mutation carriers had a significantly higher frequency of gastric polyposis (73%) than did patients with BMPR1A mutations (8%) (p,0.001); all seven cases of gastric cancer occurred in families with SMAD4 mutations. SMAD4 mutation carriers with gastric polyps were significantly older at gastroscopy than those without (p,0.001). In 22% of the 23 unrelated SMAD4 mutation carriers, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) was also diagnosed clinically. The documented histologic findings encompassed a wide distribution of different polyp types, comparable with that described in hereditary mixed polyposis syndromes (HMPS). Conclusions: Screening for large deletions raised the mutation detection rate to 60% in the 65 patients with typical JPS. A strong genotype-phenotype correlation for gastric polyposis, gastric cancer, and HHT was identified, which should have implications for counselling and surveillance. Histopathological results in hamartomatous polyposis syndromes must be critically interpreted.

No abstract

Multiple osteochondromas (MO) is an autosomaldominant skeletal disorder characterized by the formation of multiple cartilage-capped protuberances. MO is genetically heterogeneous and is associated with mutations in the EXT1 and EXT2 genes. In this study we describe extensive mutation screening in a set of 63 patients with clinical and radiographical diagnosis of MO. Denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed mutations in 43 patients. Additional deletion analysis by fluorescence in situ hybridization and a newly developed multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification probe set identified one patient with an intragenic EXT1 translocation , three patients with a partial EXT1 deletion , and one patient with a partial EXT2 deletion. Thirty-six patients harbored an EXT1 mutation (57%) , and 12 had an EXT2 mutation (19%). We show that our optimized denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography/sequencing/multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification protocol represents a reliable and highly sensitive diagnostic strategy for mutation screening in MO patients. Clinical analysis showed no clear genotype-phenotype correlation in our cohort of MO patients.

In addition, mutational analysis of K-ras codon 12, APC, and p53 and immunohistochemistry for Smad4 expression were performed on all carcinomas. Results-LOH at 19p was seen in 15 of the 39 polyps and in all carcinomas (n = 5). Interestingly, six of the seven polyps from patients with cancer had LOH, compared with nine of the 31 polyps from the remaining patients (p = 0.01). In one polyp from a patient without a germline STK11/LKB1 mutation, no LOH at 19p or at three alternative PJS candidate loci (19q, 6p, and 6q) was found. No LOH at 5q was observed. However, mutational analysis revealed an APC mutation in four of the five carcinomas. LOH at 17p was not seen in polyps or carcinomas; immunohistochemistry showed expression of p53 in one carcinoma and focal expression in three polyps. At subsequent sequence analysis, no p53 mutation was found. One carcinoma had an activating K-ras codon 12 mutation and another carcinoma showed 18q LOH; however, no loss of Smad4 expression was seen. Conclusions-These results provide further evidence that STK11/LKB1 acts as a tumour suppressor gene, and may be involved in the early stages of PJS tumorigenesis. Further research is needed to see whether LOH in PJS polyps could be used as a biomarker to predict cancer. DiVerences in molecular genetic alterations noted between the adenoma-carcinoma sequence and PJS related tumours suggest the presence of a distinct pathway of carcinogenesis. (J Clin Pathol 2001;54:126-131)

The Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is a rare hereditary disorder in which gastrointestinal hamartomatous polyposis, mucocutaneous pigmentation, and a predisposition for developing cancer are transmitted in an autosomal dominant fashion. The recently identified LKB1/STK11 gene located at chromosome 19p13.3 is mutated in a number of PJS pedigrees. We performed mutation analysis in 19, predominantly Dutch, PJS families. In 12 of these families, we identified LKB1/STK11 mutations, none of which has been described before. These 12 novel LKB1/STK11 mutations consist of one nonsense mutation, three frameshift deletions, three frameshift insertions, two acceptor splice site mutations, and three missense mutations. In addition, we detected four polymorphisms in LKB1/STK11. In the remaining seven PJS families, we found no apparent abnormalities of the LKB1/STK1I gene, which could reflect the existence of locus heterogeneity in PJS. None of the mutations occurred in more than one family, and a number were demonstrated to have arisen de novo. The diverse array of mutations found, the apparent high mutation rate, as well as the existence of a possible second PJS locus, renders diagnostic or predictive genetic testing in individual patients difficult, although future identification of additional mutations or even gene(s) will help in increasing the yield of direct mutation analysis.

The origin and neoplastic potential of gastric epithelial that is comparable with the adenoma-carcinoma sequence polyps remains an area of great interest, and treatment in the colorectum. 7 In the intestinal type of stomach choices are a topic of controversy. This report de-cancer, an accumulation of genetic mutations leading to scribes a patient diagnosed with three concurrent hyoncogene activation and loss of tumor suppressor gene perplastic gastric polyps that were studied for genetic function may be associated with a gastric dysplasia-carcialterations. The polyps were investigated for alternoma sequence. However, the specific genetic changes ations in the K-ras oncogene and the p53 tumor supaccompanying this sequence are less well defined. 8 pressor gene and for p21 WAF1/Cip1 and MDM2 protein Activation of ras oncogenes, a frequent finding in colooverexpression. In addition, loss of heterozygosity at rectal neoplasms, is rare in the stomach, although it was several loci that are frequently involved in human canreported in a subset of patients at high risk for stomach cer was analyzed, microsatellite instability, a hallmark cancer. 9,10 Activation of the K-ras oncogene by codon 12 of the ''mutator'' phenotype, was determined, and Eppoint mutations is a common and relatively early event stein-Barr virus infection was investigated. All separate areas from the three independent polyps harbored in colorectal neoplasms. Alterations in the p53 tumor accompanied by allelic loss of the remaining functional markers were observed. The results strongly favor a p53 allele. 13 The normal (wild-type) p53 protein, but clonal origin of the three independent gastric polyps not the altered p53 protein, binds specifically to DNA and support the notion that these hyperplastic polyps and acts as a transcription factor for several genes. 14 One may carry a risk for malignancy.of these genes, called WAF1 or Cip1, encodes a 21-kilodalton protein (p21 WAF1/Cip1 ) that is a potent inhibitor for several cyclin-dependent kinases that control progres-