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Implication of RARB in Epidermoid (Squamous) Lung Cancer
Author(s) -
Houle Benoit,
Leduc François,
Bradley W. E. C.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
genes, chromosomes and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.754
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1098-2264
pISSN - 1045-2257
DOI - 10.1002/gcc.2870030506
Subject(s) - epidermoid carcinoma , adenosquamous carcinoma , biology , squamous metaplasia , pathology , loss of heterozygosity , lung cancer , cancer research , clone (java method) , cancer , adenocarcinoma , medicine , genetics , epithelium , gene , allele
We report a higher frequency of loss of heterozygosity at loci on the short arm of chromosome 3 in human epidermoid lung tumors than in other non‐small cell lung tumors. This observation together with the already known involvement of the retinoids in the development of epidermoid metaplasia and neoplasia, especially in lung tissue, prompted us to investigate by RNAase protection assays the status of expression of a gene that maps on chromosome band 3p24 and codes for the B receptor for retinoic acid (RARB). We show that expression of RARB is detectable in normal lung tissue and in most of the cell lines derived from lung tumors, including the five non‐small cell lines that clearly had a non‐epidermoid phenotype. Strikingly, however, only one of the five epidermoid‐tumor‐derived cell lines studied showed detectable expression of RARB. Of two lines derived from adenosquamous tumors, one had a clear epidermoid differentiation, and this line also did not express RARB. Taken together, our results strongly implicate RARB in the evolution of epidermoid lung tumors.