Hum Genet (2009) 126:615–628
DOI 10.1007/s00439-009-0722-x
REVIEW PAPER
Nature meets nurture: molecular genetics of gastric cancer
Anya N. Milne · F. Carneiro · C. O’Morain ·
G. J. A. OVerhaus
Received: 19 June 2009 / Accepted: 16 July 2009 / Published online: 6 August 2009
© The Author(s) 2009. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com
Abstract The immensity of genes and molecules implicated in gastric carcinogenesis is overwhelming and the
relevant importance of some of these molecules is too often
unclear. This review serves to bring us up-to-date with the
latest Wndings as well as to look at the larger picture in
terms of how to tackle the problem of solving this multipiece puzzle. In this review, the environmental nurturing of
intestinal cancer is discussed, beginning with epidemiology
(known causative factors for inducing molecular change),
an update of H. pylori research, including the role of
inXammation and stem cells in premalignant lesions. The
role of E-cadherin in the nature (genotype) of diVuse gastric
cancer is highlighted, and Wnally the ever growing discipline of SNP analysis (including IL1B) is discussed.
A. N. Milne (&) · G. J. A. OVerhaus
Pathology Department H04.2.25,
University Medical Centre Utrecht,
Postbus 85500, 3508GA Utrecht, The Netherlands
e-mail: a.n.a.milne@umcutrecht.nl
F. Carneiro
Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology,
University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
F. Carneiro
Medical Faculty, Hospital S. João, Porto, Portugal
C. O’Morain
Department of Gastroenterology,
Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
G. J. A. OVerhaus
Department of Pathology,
Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Introduction
Gastric cancer (GC) is a worldwide health burden (Jemal
et al. 2007) with little hopeful progress. Even after a curative
resection alone or after adjuvant therapy, nearly 60% of those
patients aVected succumb to GC (Macdonald et al. 2001;
Bonenkamp et al. 1999; de Maat et al. 2007). Despite tremendous advances in the past few decades, there are still no
tools to address the inherent molecular heterogeneity of GC
that expresses itself in divergent clinical biology. The age-old
debate of whether diseases are inherited (“nature”) or occur
as a result of environmental inXuences (“nurture”) has been
resolved to a certain extent, and we now acknowledge that
environment and genetics have a delicate interplay which
varies between sexes, individuals and ethnic backgrounds,
providing in each individual a unique environment for cancer
growth or suppression. The relative importance of nature versus nurture can however vary with tumour type, and it is long
known that the impact of environmental triggers can be seen
at gene level. With this knowledge and the age of personalized
medicine, the importance of the crucial relationship between
nature and nurture is ever increasing.
Gastric cancer is thought to result from a combination of
environmental factors and the accumulation of generalized
and speciWc genetic alterations, and consequently aVects
mainly older patients often after a long period of atrophic
gastritis. The commonest cause of gastritis is infection by
H. pylori, which is the single most common cause of gastric
cancer (Forman et al. 1991; Parsonnet et al. 1991) and has
been classiWed by the WHO as a class I carcinogen since
1994 (IARC monographs 1994; Suerbaum and Michetti
2002) and the causal role has been extensively studied in
animal models (Watanabe et al. 1998).
The risk of infection varies with age, geographical location and ethnicity, but overall 15–20% of infected patients
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develop gastric or duodenal ulcer disease and less than
1% will develop gastric adenocarcinoma (Suerbaum and
Michetti 2002).
The pattern of gastritis has also been shown to correlate
strongly with the risk of gastric adenocarcinoma. The presence of antral-predominant gastritis, the most common
form, confers a higher risk of developing peptic ulcers;
whereas, corpus predominant gastritis and multifocal atrophic gastritis leads to a higher risk of developing gastric
ulcers and subsequent gastric cancer (Watanabe et al. 1998;
Craanen et al. 1992). The response to H. pylori infection
and the subsequent pattern of gastritis depends on the genotype of the patients and in particular a polymorphism in
interleukin 1 beta, an inXammatory mediator triggered by
H. pylori infection, is known to be of importance as will be
discussed (El-Omar et al. 2000).
The most commonly used classiWcations of GC are the
World Health Organization (WHO) (Hamilton and Aaltonen 2000) and the Laurén classiWcations which describes
two main histological types, diVuse and intestinal (Lauren
1965), which have diVerent clinicopathological characteristics. DiVuse cancer occurs more commonly in young
patients, can be multifocal, is not often accompanied by
intestinal metaplasia and can be hereditary, as will be discussed in detail below (Matley et al. 1988; Kokkola and
Sipponen 2001; Lim et al. 2003; Furukawa et al. 1989; Carneiro et al. 2004). Intestinal type is more frequently
observed in older patients and follows multifocal atrophic
gastritis. This is usually accompanied by intestinal metaplasia and leads to cancer via dysplasia, and thus intestinal
metaplasia is considered a dependable morphological
marker for gastric cancer risk. Unlike intestinal gastric cancer, the diVuse type typically develops following chronic
inXammation without passing through the intermediate
steps of atrophic gastritis or intestinal metaplasia. Intestinal
adenocarcinoma predominates in the high-risk areas
whereas the diVuse adenocarcinoma is more common in
low-risk areas (Hamilton and Aaltonen 2000). These clinicopathological factors suggest that the “nurture” component of intestinal GC is greater than that of diVuse GC and
conversely that the “nature” aspect of diVuse GC may be
stronger than that of intestinal-type GC.
Previous reviews have given us an overview of the general state of GC research (Milne et al. 2007), and this current review serves to bring us up-to-date with the latest
Wndings. Gastric carcinogenesis can be considered a multistep process involving generalized and speciWc genetic
alterations that drive the progressive transformation of cells
into cancer. In fact some have even tried to quantify the
number of steps needed for various cancers, with GC averaging at 4.18 genomic alterations necessary (Nishimura
2008). Hanahan and Weinberg describe how virtually all
mammalian cells carry a similar molecular machinery regu-
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Hum Genet (2009) 126:615–628
lating their proliferation, diVerentiation, and death and suggest that there are six essential alterations in cell physiology
that collectively dictate malignant growth (Hanahan and
Weinberg 2000) and this framework can be applied to GC,
as described previously (Milne et al. 2007). Despite the
breadth of molecules, genes and indeed pathways implicated in GC, there are a few that stand out and deserve
mention. In this review, the environmental “nurturing” of
intestinal cancer is discussed, beginning with epidemiology
(known causative factors for inducing molecular change),
an update of H. pylori research, including the role of
inXammation and stem cells in premalignant lesions. The
role of E-cadherin in the “nature” (genotype) of diVuse gastric cancer is highlighted, and Wnally the ever growing discipline of SNP analysis (including IL1B), which can
account for individual inherited cancer risk, is discussed.
The “Nurture” component
Epidemiology
Cigarette smoking and H. pylori infection are classically
associated with GC(Shikata et al. 2008), and diet is a
known etiological factor, especially for intestinal-type adenocarcinoma whereby an adequate intake of fruit and vegetables appears to lower the risk with ascorbic acid,
carotenoids, folates and tocopherols acting as antioxidants
(Hamilton and Aaltonen 2000; Jenab et al. 2006a). It is possible that cereal Wbre intake may reduce the risk of adenocarcinoma, particularly diVuse type (Mendez et al. 2007),
and the interplay of diet on genomic stability has been recognized (Young 2007), by showing that substances such as
green tea can aVect methylation status of genes (Yuasa
et al. 2009). It is said by some that salt intake strongly associates with the risk of gastric carcinoma and its precursor
lesions (Pelucchi et al. 2009; Kato et al. 2006), and this risk
is increased in certain genetically predisposed individuals
(Chen et al. 2004), yet others refute the importance of salt
as a risk factor (Sjodahl et al. 2008). Other foods associated
with high risk in some populations include smoked or cured
meats and Wsh, pickled vegetables and chilli peppers
(Hamilton and Aaltonen 2000). Alcohol and occupational
exposure to nitrosamines and inorganic dusts have been studied in several populations, but the results have been inconsistent (Hamilton and Aaltonen 2000) and the possible role of
vitamin C remains under scrutiny (Jenab et al. 2006b).
The incidence of gastric adenocarcinoma is declining
worldwide, mainly due to decline of the intestinal type.
There has also been a change in the anatomical distribution
of this malignancy, with a fall in the incidence of mid and
distal GC and a progressive increase in cardia cancer. This
fall in incidence may be explained by the decline in
Hum Genet (2009) 126:615–628
H. pylori infection and associated atrophic gastritis.
Interestingly, H. pylori infection is a strong risk factor for
non-cardia GC, but is inversely associated with the risk of
gastric cardia cancer (Kamangar et al. 2006). Relatively
high rates of cancer in the central/distal portions of the
stomach among North American Indians and Alaska
Natives in some geographic regions may indicate a disproportional burden of H. pylori-associated disease (Wiggins
et al. 2008). There is a male predominance of GC which
may be related to hormonal factors (Chandanos and Lagergren
2008), and this male predominance mainly relates to the
intestinal type (Derakhshan et al. 2009).
In addition, a further decrease of at least 24% in the incidence of gastric corpus cancer in the coming decade may be
anticipated in Western countries without speciWc intervention (de Vries et al. 2007). On the other hand, because the
risk of gastric cardia adenocarcinoma increases with higher
BMI, growing obesity may explain the rising incidence of
oesophageal and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma in the Western world (Merry et al. 2007). Long-term pharmacological
gastric acid suppression is yet another marker of increased
risk of oesophageal and gastric non-cardia adenocarcinoma
(Garcia Rodriguez et al. 2006). These associations may be
explained by the underlying treatment indication being a risk
factor for the cancer rather than an independent harmful
eVect of these agents per se although this is a subject of
debate (Langman and Logan 2007; McColl 2006).
InXammation and H. pylori
One of the triumphs of 19th century biology was the understanding that neoplastic processes were diVerent and distinguishable from infectious or inXammatory processes
(Rather 1978). From late in the 20th century, it has become
increasingly clear that these processes are not as distinct as
the histopathology had suggested. There are a variety of
chronic inXammatory conditions (where no causal agents
have been identiWed), e.g. Barrett oesophagus, chronic
ulcerative colitis, as well as a variety of infectious conditions, such as chronic gastric infection with H. pylori and
chronic viral hepatitis, that markedly elevate the risk of
cancer. Chronic inXammation induces increased tissue turnover, which is thought to predispose to an excessive rate of
proliferation, and in many cases results in more frequent
mitotic errors and an increased rate of mutagenesis.
Notably, Matsumoto et al. recently reported that H. pylori
infection of the gastric epithelium induced the expression
of the activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) gene
(Matsumoto et al. 2007), a gene originally linked to immunoglobulin class switching and B lymphocyte hypermutation, but aberrantly expressed in cancer, where it may
predispose to point mutations of the p53 tumour suppressor
gene. Recent studies have also highlighted important roles
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for speciWc immune cell populations (e.g., macrophages, T
cells) and proinXammatory cytokines [e.g., interleukin (IL)1B, IL-6, tumour necrosis factor] in the pathogenesis of
cancer (Fox and Wang 2007; Lin and Karin 2007).
Although infection with H. pylori signiWcantly increases
the risk of developing GC, the exact mechanism underlying
the malignant transformation needs to be clariWed, but it is
believed that the combination of a virulent organism, a permissive environment and a genetically susceptible host is
necessary (Figueiredo et al. 2002; Machado et al. 2003;
Amieva and El-Omar 2008; Egan et al. 2007). Molecular
and cell biology approaches aimed at understanding the
interaction between H. pylori and the transforming epithelial cell are the subject of intense research (Ferreira et al.
2008; Chiba et al. 2008), including new insights into the
mechanisms by which H. pylori disrupts gastric barrier function via urease-mediated myosin II activation (Wroblewski
et al. 2009). In addition, persistent inXammation is known
to cause genetic instability through the generation of mutagenic substances such as reactive oxygen species (Baik
et al. 1996; Farinati et al. 2008) and reactive nitrogen species (Fu et al. 1999) which may act to directly damage the
host cell nuclear and mitochondrial DNA(Machado et al.
2009) and limit the mucosal defence by decreasing the antioxidant properties of the gastric mucosa (Sobala et al.
1993). Such a direct gastric mutagenic eVect through oxidative DNA damage in H. pylori infection has been shown in
transgenic mouse models (Touati et al. 2003). Nitric oxide
can also directly inXuence mitochondrial pathways of apoptosis (Mannick et al. 1999) and also potentially plays a role
in multiple levels of cell signal transduction during
H. pylori infection. Furthermore, bacterial factors may also
directly induce apoptosis (Galmiche et al. 2000).
The ultimate eVectors of apoptosis include an array of
intracellular proteases termed caspases. Caspases are
important in the life and death of immune cells and therefore inXuence immune surveillance of malignancies. Two
“gatekeeper” caspases, caspase-8 and -9, are activated by
death receptors such as FAS or by the cytochrome C
released from mitochondria, respectively, and the Fas antigen pathway of apoptosis is recognized as the leading cause
of tissue destruction during H. pylori infection (Cai et al.
2005). In fact, a six-nucleotide deletion (-652 6N del) variant in the CASP8 promoter has been found to be associated
with decreased risk of lung cancer.(Sun et al. 2007) Further
case–control analyses in a Chinese population showed that
this genetic variant is associated with reduced susceptibility
to multiple cancers, including lung, oesophageal, gastric,
colorectal, cervical and breast cancers (Sun et al. 2007),
supporting the hypothesis that genetic variants inXuencing
immune status modify cancer susceptibility, and strengthening the argument that both nature and nurture are needed
for carcinogenesis.
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DiVerent strains of H. pylori vary in their carcinogenic
potential, with those containing the virulence factor CagA
inducing a greater degree of inXammation. CagA is delivered
into gastric epithelial cells through a bacterial type IV
secretion system, and interacts with several major growthregulating signal transduction pathways including the Ras/
MEK/ERK pathway (Mimuro et al. 2002) and the Src family of protein kinases (Tsutsumi et al. 2003). In addition,
forms of cagA encoding multiple type C EPIYA segments
(which increase phosphorylation-dependent CagA activity)
have been shown and the number of cagA EPIYA-C segments relate to cancer risk amongst Western strains (Basso
et al. 2008). Loss of cell polarity and tissue architecture is a
hallmark of carcinomas that arise from epithelial cells.
Studies on Drosophila tumour suppressors have provided
evidence that epithelial polarity and cell proliferation are
functionally coupled, suggesting a function for polarity
defects in the development of carcinomas. It has been discovered that CagA speciWcally binds and inhibits PAR1/
MARK polarity-regulating kinase, thereby causing junctional and polarity defects in epithelial cells (Hatakeyama
2008). Thus, the bacterial oncoprotein simultaneously targets the polarity-regulating system and growth-regulatory
system.
H. pylori can also produce the vacuolating cytotoxin
VacA responsible for epithelial damage which contributes
to gastric carcinogenesis. A new type i1 “intermediate
region” polymorphism, in vacA (which confers toxicity)
has recently been described (Rhead et al. 2007; Ogiwara
et al. 2008), and it appears that this it is the intermediate
region type of vacA confers peptic ulcer risk (Basso et al.
2008). Bacterial factors (motility, adhesion, urease, cag
pathogenicity), components of the host immune response
(toll-like receptors, adaptive immunity, IL1B polymorphisms, MHCII), gastrin hormonal responses and decreased
acid secretion are all thought to play a role in malignant
transformation of the gastric mucosa (Stoicov et al. 2004).
Gastrin, whose main role is acid secretion, is a diverse transcriptional activator, mediating gene expression that is
associated with cell division, invasion, angiogenesis and
anti-apoptotic activity, which are all pivotal in the gain of
malignant potential. However, it is still unclear whether
gastrin is a central player or a secondary phenomenon in the
development of gastric adenocarcinoma, as has been previously discussed (Watson et al. 2006). There is a long-standing association of gastrin with malignant progression in
transgenic mouse models, yet clinical conditions associated
with hypergastrinaemia in humans, such as the Zollinger–
Ellison syndrome, result in the development of hyperplasia
of enterochromaYn-like (ECL) cells and carcinoid
tumours, not GC, suggesting that the role of gastrin is not
critical in gastric carcinogenesis. Despite this observation,
H. pylori infection in the insulin–gastrin transgenic mouse
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produces an early increase in acid secretion and over time
progresses to atrophy, achlorhydria, hyperplasia of mucous
cell compartment, metaplasia, dysplasia and invasive GC
by 8 months of age (Wang et al. 2000). Conversely, gastrin
deWciency has also been reported to cause gastric adenocarcinoma (Zavros et al. 2005). Interestingly, expression proWles of gastrin knock-out mice revealed activation of
immune defence genes, interferon-regulated response
genes, and intestinal metaplasia of the gastric mucosa. Over
time, the changes accumulated, became irreversible, and
progressed into metaplasia and polyp development (FriisHansen et al. 2006).
The intricacy of our defence systems are constantly
being reWned, and bacterial interactions with the human
immune system play a crucial role in triggering inXammation and ultimately cancer. Chochi et al. have highlighted
that H. pylori augments the growth of GC via the lipopolysaccharide toll-like receptor 4 pathway, whereas its lipopolysaccharide attenuates antitumour activities of human
mononuclear cells (Chochi et al. 2008). In addition, antitumour T lymphocytes play a pivotal role in immunosurveillance of malignancy, with the CTL antigen 4 (CTLA-4)
being a vital negative regulator of T-cell activation and proliferation. This polymorphism is associated with increased
susceptibility to multiple cancers, including lung, breast,
oesophagus, and gastric cardia cancers, as demonstrated by
genotyping in 5,832 individuals with cancer and 5,831 control subjects in northern and southern Chinese populations
(Sun et al. 2008). It has also been reported that CCL17 and
CCL22 chemokines within the tumour microenvironment
are associated with the accumulation of regulatory T cells
(Tregs) in GC (Mizukami et al. 2008). Furthermore, the
density of tumour inWltrating lymphocytes was found to be
independently predictive of regional lymph node metastasis
and patient survival (Lee et al. 2008), highlighting the
importance of the individual immune defences. Individual
genetic variation may also explain the probable dual role of
eosinophils in chronic gastritis, whereby elevated eosinophil density in the low-risk area, representing a T helper 2biased response down-regulate the eVects of proinXammatory cytokines preventing cancer development, whereas
eosinophils in the high-risk area promote a T helper 1-type
response leading to progression of precancerous lesions
(Piazuelo et al. 2008). An in-depth understanding of the
mechanism by which inXammation can lead to carcinogenesis may also enable the development of drugs targeted at
signal transduction systems that are involved in the progression from inXammation to carcinogenesis, providing a
powerful tool for preventing cancer development (Maeda
and Omata 2008; Levidou et al. 2007).
COX-2 has long been known to play a role in GC,
although there are numerous debates on the relative value
of the COX-2 polymorphism (Sitarz et al. 2008a). In a
Hum Genet (2009) 126:615–628
surveillance/screening study of 2,813 subjects in China
(Liu et al. 2006), investigators found a greater than twofold
higher risk for progressing to GC among those with the
1195AA COX-2 genotype and report that this risk of progression was largely accounted for by those with the
¡1195AA COX-2 genotype that were also infected with
H. pylori or were smokers (Liu et al. 2006). COX-2, is frequently upregulated in gastric adenocarcinomas (Ristimaki
et al. 1997) and its expression, which can be induced by
H. pylori (Fu et al. 1999; Sung et al. 2000) is thought to be
a relatively early event in gastric carcinogenesis (van Rees
et al. 2002). It is predominantly expressed in intestinal-type
gastric carcinomas and its precursor lesions (van Rees et al.
2002; Saukkonen et al. 2001; Milne et al. 2006). Recently,
the molecule C/EBP-, a transcription factor for COX-2
(Caivano et al. 2001) has been shown to play a role in GC
(Milne et al. 2006; Sankpal et al. 2006; Regalo et al. 2006).
Patients with COX-2 methylated tumours have been shown
to have a signiWcantly longer time to recurrence and
improved overall survival (de Maat et al. 2007) and COX-2
expression has been suggested as a prognostic indicator
(Park et al. 2009; Mrena et al. 2005). Studies have highlighted the reduced risk of GC in non-steroidal anti-inXammatory drug users (Hu et al. 2004; Langman et al. 2000;
Akre et al. 2001), in particular non-cardia gastric adenocarcinoma (Abnet et al. 2009) and recent reports have suggested that a COX-2 inhibitor may be useful for
prophylaxis of lymph node metastasis by reducing macrophage-mediated tumour lymphangiogenesis (Iwata et al.
2007). Worthy of mention is that growth factors of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family and their respective
receptors including c-erbB2 oncogene are also preferentially overexpressed in intestinal gastric cancers (Park et al.
1989; Yokota et al. 1988) and with the advent of anti-Her-2
antibody based treatment, more may heard on this subject
in the future (Marx et al. 2009; Gravalos and Jimeno 2008).
Interestingly, despite the importance of H. pylori as an
initiating factor in gastric carcinogenesis, the molecular
pathology of H. pylori and non-H. pylori cancers cannot be
easily separated, and it has been reported that H. pylori related and non-related GCs do not diVer with respect to
chromosomal aberrations (van Grieken et al. 2000). Also,
although it may seem intuitively obvious that removing the
oVending organism would negate the cancer risk, this
approach is not straightforward. Most patients are infected
in childhood, and present with varying degrees of mucosal
damage before any therapy (Correa and Houghton 2007).
Prophylactic eradication of H. pylori after endoscopic
resection of early GC should be used to prevent the development of metachronous GC say researchers (Fukase et al.
2008). However, the causal association seems somewhat
enigmatic in some Asian countries where high prevalence
of H. pylori infection does not translate into high GC inci-
619
dence (Sharma 2008). H. pylori infection is more common
and contracted earlier in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and
Thailand, where seroprevalence of H. pylori infection in
adults varies from 55 to 92% compared with about 50%
in China and Japan. However, the frequency of GC is low
in these so-called Asian enigma countries compared with
that in Japan and China. The increased understanding of
the relationship between inXammation and GC still leaves
many questions unanswered regarding recommendations
for prevention and treatment (Fox and Wang 2007; Buckley
and O’Morain 1995).
Premalignant lesions
Intestinal-type GC typically arises in the setting of chronic
gastritis and develops through intermediate stages of atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, and Wnally
GC. This lengthy process, known commonly as the Correa
pathway, is dependent on continued chronic inXammation
(Correa and Houghton 2007; Correa 1995; Correa and
Piazuelo 2008). Genetic changes can already be detected in
intestinal metaplasia, with p16 methylation being signiWcantly associated with H. pylori infection in precancerous
lesions (Dong et al. 2009). Studies have also shown
decreased E-cadherin expression in the gastric mucosa of
H. pylori infected individuals (Terres et al. 1998) and the
interaction of CagA with E-cadherin, which causes cytoplasmic and nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin has been
documented and implicated in the development of intestinal
metaplasia (Murata-Kamiya et al. 2007). Metaplasia is a
particularly interesting feature because it is a permanent
alteration that suggests a marked change in the genetic and
epigenetic program of the gastric stem or progenitor cells.
Some argue that biologic detection of genomic instability in
intestinal metaplasia may be a surrogate marker for GC risk
and for clinical evaluation of malignant potential (Zaky
et al. 2008). Intestinal metaplasia occurs in a variety of settings, including induction by bile reXux, where it is also
associated with induced COX-2, via the sequential transcriptional induction of SHP and CDX1 in precancerous
lesions (Park et al. 2008).
It is known that loss of Sonic hedgehog (Shh), an essential regulator of patterning processes throughout development, and CDX2, a regulator for intestinal development
and diVerentiation, have a role in early premalignant
change (Watson et al. 2006) and they seem to be interdependently linked with cellular diVerentiation through
diVerent signal cascades (Shiotani et al. 2008). H. pylori
downregulates Shh expression, resulting in the loss of morphogenic diVerentiation, the disruption of glandular structure and the gain of a more intestinal phenotype by
upregulation of intestine-related genes, such as CDX2,
MUC2 and villin (Zavros et al. 2005). Notably, ectopi-
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cally-expressed Cdx2 was found to induce gastric intestinal metaplasia in two separate mouse models (Mutoh et al.
2002; Silberg et al. 2002). Furthermore, in the insulin–gastrin (InsGas) hypergastrinaemic mouse +/¡ Helicobacter
felis (H. felis) infection, Sonic hedgehog gene and protein
expression was reduced in pre-metaplastic lesions from
non-infected mice compared to normal mucosa, and was
reactivated in gastric metaplasia of H. felis-infected mice
(El-Zaatari et al. 2007). A study by Wang et al. found that
SHH was completely absent in the upper part of normal
gastric epithelia (gastric pit cells), and no signiWcant diVerences were observed among the lower parts of normal
epithelia, chronic gastritis, and intestinal metaplasia. However, Shh expression was signiWcantly elevated in neoplastic lesions, such as carcinoma and high- and low-grade
dysplasia, compared to non-neoplastic lesions. In carcinomas, Shh expression was associated with clinical stage,
direct tumour invasion, and diVerentiation of tumour cells
(Wang et al. 2006). These results suggest that the increased
and constitutive Shh expression is implicated in gastric
carcinogenesis.
Stem cells in gastric cancer
Given the current hypothesis that cancer arises from cancer
stem cells (CSCs), the mechanism by which chronic inXammation leads to the emergence of CSCs needs to be
addressed. It has been presumed that the gastric stem or
progenitor cell is located in the isthmus of the gastric
glands in the corpus, and gives rise to diVerentiated daughter cells via bidirectional migration patterns. In the gastric
antrum, the stem or progenitor cells are located at the bottom of the glands, and descendents migrate toward the surface unidirectionally (Takaishi et al. 2008). Bjerknes et al.
provided the evidence for the existence of multipotent stem
cells in the adult mouse gastric epithelium using chemical
mutagenesis to label random epithelial cells by loss of
transgene function in transgenic mice (Bjerknes and Cheng
2002). This work revealed that many gastric glands showed
a loss of transgene function in all major epithelial cell
types, consistent with clonal expansion of a single mutation, therefore indicating the existence of multipotent gastric stem cells.
For many years, resident tissue stem cells have been
viewed as the best candidate for CSCs, because the simplest model is one in which a tumour arises from stem or
progenitor cells at the existing site. In the intestine,
mutations in long-lived (Lgr5+) stem cells located at the
crypt bottoms are believed to be the precursor to intestinal
cancer (Barker et al. 2009). Barker et al. reported that the
G-protein coupled receptor Lgr5 was expressed in the
bottom of gastric glands, and ongoing lineage tracing
experiments implied that the entire gastric gland derived
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from Lgr5+ cells.(Barker et al. 2007) Possible gastric
progenitor cells are recently shown to give rise to multiple
gastric cell lineages in the gland (Qiao et al. 2007).
McDonald et al. have investigated the clonality of the
gastric unit and have shown how mutations expand in
normal mucosa and in intestinal metaplasia, using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations as a marker of clonal
expansion. They showed that mtDNA mutations establish
themselves in stem cells within normal human gastric body
units, and are passed on to all their diVerentiated progeny,
thereby providing evidence for clonal conversion to a new
stem cell-derived unit–monoclonal conversion, encompassing all gastric epithelial lineages. The presence of partially
mutated units indicates that more than one stem cell is
present in each unit. Mutated units can divide by Wssion to
form patches, with each unit sharing an identical, mutant
mtDNA genotype. They also showed that intestinal metaplastic crypts are clonal, possess multiple stem cells, and
that Wssion is a mechanism by which intestinal metaplasia
spreads (McDonald et al. 2008). Interestingly, methylation of promoter CpG islands in intestinal metaplasia,
which is known to be deeply involved in the progression
to cancers, occurs independently in multiple genes in multiple glands, each of which has its own stem cell (Mihara
et al. 2006).
Although gastric stem or progenitor cells might seem to
be good candidates for gastric CSCs, another possible
source is the bone marrow-derived cell (BMDC) identiWed
during the course of studies employing mouse models of
H. pylori-induced GC (Houghton et al. 2004). Bone marrow-derived stem cells tend to migrate through peripheral
organs as a result of inXammation and tissue injury and the
diVerentiation pattern and growth regulation of these cells
may depend largely on local environmental signals and
cues (Krause et al. 2001; Okamoto et al. 2002). Studies
have demonstrated that cancer-associated Wbroblasts can be
partly derived from BMDCs (Iwano et al. 2002; Direkze
et al. 2004) and it has also been reported that bone marrowderived human mesenchymal stem cells, when mixed with
otherwise weakly metastatic human breast carcinoma cells,
cause the cancer cells to increase their metastatic potency
greatly, through stimulation of de novo secretion of the
chemokine CCL5 (Karnoub et al. 2007). In view of the
remarkable plasticity of BMDC, it has been suggested that
BMDCs might contribute directly or indirectly to epithelial
cancers, particularly those associated with chronic inXammation (Takaishi et al. 2008).
Dysregulation of the stem cell signalling network due to
the accumulation of germline mutation, SNP, H. pylori
infection, epigenetic change and genetic alteration has been
suggested to give rise to GC (Katoh 2007). H. pylori may
adapt to and inXuence stem cell biology, thus contributing
to gastric tumourigenesis (Giannakis et al. 2008).
Hum Genet (2009) 126:615–628
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The “Nature” component
The gastric mucosa in CDH1 germline mutation carriers
is normal until the second CDH1 allele is inactivated. It is
postulated that this downregulation occurs in multiple cells
in the gastric mucosa, accounting for the multifocal tumour
lesions which develop and (Carneiro et al. 2004) environmental and physiological factors such as diet, carcinogen
exposure, ulceration and gastritis are suggested to promote
this downregulation event. The tumour then expands slowly
until additional genetic events, probably in combination with
an altered microenvironment, lead to clonal expansion and
tumour progression. Interestingly, because the second hit
only rarely involves somatic, irreversible, mutation of the
second CDH1 allele, but rather more frequently occurs via
methylation (Grady et al. 2000; Oliveira et al. 2009a; Barber
et al. 2008), it is plausible that the early stage lesions may be
reversible. IdentiWcation of patients with germline CDH1
mutations paves the way for studies to increase our understanding of the mechanisms by which these mutations ultimately lead to sporadic cancer as well as HDGC.
Analysis of all reported genetic abnormalities in CDH1
found in HDGC reveals that the majority are inactivating
mutations (splice site, frameshift, and nonsense) rather than
missense mutations. Furthermore, CDH1 germline mutations are evenly distributed along the E-cadherin gene, in
contrast with the clustering in exons 7–9 observed in sporadic diVuse GC (Berx et al. 1998). Frequent deletions of
CDH1 in HDGC families have recently been recognized
(Oliveira et al. 2009b). Loss of heterozygosity as the “second hit” does not appear to be frequent in HDGC. Instead,
hypermethylation of the CDH1 promoter is likely to be a
common cause of down-regulation or inactivation of the
second CDH1 allele in HDGC tumours (Grady et al. 2000).
A remarkably high percentage (approximately 80%) of
CDH1 mutations in HDGC patients and carriers generate
premature termination codons (PTCs). It is possible to
examine whether CDH1 transcripts harbouring PTCs are
downregulated by nonsense-mediated decay (NMD), an
RNA surveillance pathway that degrades PTC-bearing transcripts. Analysis of HDGC patients harbouring CDH1 alleles with PTCs at a wide variety of diVerent positions
indicates an association of their predicted ability to induce
NMD and an earlier age of onset of GC (Karam et al.
2008). Interestingly, regulators of E-cadherin-mediated cell
adhesion, such as the Rho GTPases are implicated in the
carcinogenic process by deregulated expression of the family members itself or of upstream modulators or downstream eVectors (Walch et al. 2008). As well as E-cadherin
dysregulation, overexpression of epidermal growth factor
receptor (EGFR) is among the most frequent genetic alterations associated with diVuse-type gastric carcinoma. Accumulating evidence suggests a functional relationship
between E-cadherin and EGFR that regulates both proteins
(Bremm et al. 2008).
The role of CDH1, encoding E-cadherin
The existence of a familial form of GC has been known
since the 1800s when multiple cases of GC were noted in
the Napoleon Bonaparte family (SokoloV 1938). Approximately 1–3% of GCs arise as a result of inherited GC predisposition syndromes, such as hereditary diVuse GC
(HDGC), caused by a germline mutation in the CDH1 gene,
encoding E-cadherin, a molecule central in the processes of
development, cell diVerentiation, and maintenance of epithelial architecture (Grunwald 1993). GC in its hereditary
form can also be caused by germline mutations of the TP53
tumour suppressor gene which occurs in the Li–Fraumeni
syndrome (Olivier et al. 2003) and new germ line mutations
in this gene continue to be discovered (Yamada et al.
2007). BRCA2 gene mutations are associated with familial
aggregations of not only breast but also of gastric, ovarian,
pancreatic, and prostate cancers (The Breast Cancer Linkage Consortium 1999; Jakubowska et al. 2002). A proportion of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC)
kindreds (the so-called Lynch II families) are associated
with a high frequency of extracolonic carcinomas, most
commonly aVecting the endometrium and stomach (Lynch
et al. 1996) and these are known to harbour microsatellite
instability (Aaltonen et al. 1994).
Approximately 30–40% of all HDGC families carry
CDH1 germline mutations (Oliveira et al. 2006). The
remaining 60–70% are genetically unexplained and may be
caused by alterations in other genes. Mutations in CDH1
were initially identiWed in 1998 in three Maori families
from New Zealand that were predisposed to diVuse GC
(Guilford et al. 1998). Since then, similar mutations have
been described in more than 151 HDGC families of diverse
ethnic backgrounds Carneiro et al. (2008a). Recurrent
CDH1 mutations in families with hereditary diVuse GC are
due to both independent mutational events and common
ancestry and Wndings support the presence of a founder
mutation from Newfoundland (Kaurah et al. 2007). Preliminary data from these families suggest that the penetrance of
CDH1 gene mutations is high, ranging between 70 and 80%
(Pharoah et al. 2001). Management options for unaVected
mutation carriers include prophylactic total gastrectomy
(Lynch et al. 2008; Cisco and Norton 2008; Rogers et al.
2008). There also appears to be an increased frequency of
cancers occurring at other sites such as the breast, colorectum, and prostate in these mutation carriers (Pharoah et al.
2001). However, inclusion of associated cancers into the
deWnition of HDGC is not yet recommended (Caldas et al.
1999) although updated recommendations from the International Gastric Cancer Linkage Consortium (IGCLC) are
expected to be published later in 2009.
123
622
Hum Genet (2009) 126:615–628
lighting the importance of environmental interaction on
genotype (Jenab et al. 2008).
There are various models for the development of HDGC
on both the histopathological and molecular level (Carneiro
et al. 2004, 2008a; Humar and Guilford 2008). The earliest
indications of cancer in the stomachs of CDH1 mutation
carriers are microscopic foci of in situ carcinoma, pagetoid
spread of signet ring cells and intramucosal signet ring cell
carcinoma (SRCC; designated “eHDGC”), as seen in
Fig. 1. In a study investigating wild-type (wt) and cdh1(+/¡)
mice induced with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU), intramucosal SRCC developed with an 11 times higher incidence
compared with wt mice (Humar et al. 2009). The murine
SRCC resembled the human eHDGCs in that they were
hypoproliferative, lacked nuclear beta-catenin accumulation, and had reduced membrane localization of E-cadherin
and its interacting junctional proteins. The down-regulation
of E-cadherin in the murine SRCCs conWrmed the importance of the second CDH1 hit to the initiation of diVuse
GC, and promoter hypermethylation of the CDH1 gene was
found to be the second hit in 50% of foci. These Wndings
provide compelling evidence for a deWciency in cell-to-cell
adhesion being suYcient to initiate diVuse GC in the
absence of hyperproliferation and beta-catenin activation
(Humar et al. 2009).
A verdict has not yet been reached concerning the possible carcinogenic role of coexistent infection with H. pylori
on a CDH1 mutated background, and it remains possible
that H. pylori infection as well as dietary and other environmental inXuences may modify the disease risk in these susceptible individuals (McColl and El-Omar 2002). In
addition, the role of genetic polymorphisms of the CDH1
gene in increasing the risk of sporadic GC is under investigation (Zhang et al. 2008a; Wang et al. 2008). In one case–
control study (cases = 245/controls = 950) nested within
the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and
Nutrition (EPIC) none of the eight CDH1 polymorphisms
or haplotypes analysed were associated with GC risk and
no diVerences of eVect were observed by H. pylori infection
status. However, three CDH1 polymorphisms in the same
haplotype block, including the CDH1–160C/A, interacted
with smoking to increase GC risk in smokers, again high-
Genetic instability at the level of microsatellite instability
(MSI) occurs in many sporadic human tumours and the
relation between microsatellite instability and gastric carcinoma has received considerable attention. This is due to the
discovery that MSI may be found in sporadic carcinomas
that are characteristic of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal
cancer (HNPCC) (Peltomaki et al. 1993), a syndrome
where germline mutations of the mismatch repair genes are
present. The levels of MSI found in gastric carcinomas
from both Western and Eastern populations is probably in
the region of up to 15–20% (Hayden et al. 1998; Carneiro
et al. 2008b). Several authors demonstrated that the subset
of sporadic GC with high-frequency MSI (MSI-H) showed
a distinct clinicopathologic and genetic proWle from those
with a low frequency (MSI-L) or microsatellite stable
(MSS) genotype (Wu et al. 2000; Falchetti et al. 2008; dos
Santos et al. 1996). For example, frameshift mutations in
the Wnt pathway genes AXIN2 and TCF7L2 have been
found in GCs with high microsatellite instability (Kim et al.
2009) and alternative lengthening of telomeres frequently
occurs in mismatch repair system-deWcient gastric carcinoma (Omori et al. 2009). Genome-wide expression proWles of sporadic GCs with and without microsatellite
instability reveal that the immune and apoptotic gene networks eYciently discriminated these two cancer types
(D’Errico et al. 2009). However, whereas the role of microsatellite instability and DNA mismatch repair gene defects
in HNPCC is unquestionable and well established, the relevance of this phenomenon in GC is far from clear and currently has limited clinical value (Hayden et al. 1998).
Somatic mutations of mismatch repair (MMR) genes such
as hMLH1 or hMSH2 are extremely rare in sporadic GCs,
with only one mutation found, in hMSH2 and two cases of a
germline frameshift mutation in hMLH1 (Wu et al. 1997;
Bacani et al. 2005). More recently, 29 sporadic GCs with
Fig. 1 In situ carcinoma, pagetoid spread of signet ring cells and early
invasive signet ring carcinoma. a In situ signet ring cell carcinoma:
gland with intact basement membrane lined by signet ring cells (arrow
heads) (H&E, original magniWcation £400); b pagetoid spread of
signet ring cells below the preserved epithelium of one foveolae
(arrow heads) (H&E, original magniWcation £400); c early invasive
signet ring cell carcinoma (eHDGC) (HE, original magniWcation
£400)
123
Microsatellite instability
Hum Genet (2009) 126:615–628
high level of MSI were screened for somatic mutations in
MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, MLH3, and MBD4, and only Wve
truncating mutations (3 in MSH6, 1 in MLH3, and 1 in
MBD4) and one missense mutation (MLH1) were identiWed. All truncating mutations were found in the coding
poly-A tracts, thus suggesting that they result from the MSI
phenotype rather than causing it (Pinto et al. 2008). However, MSI positive tumours can still lack hMLH1 protein
expression and many studies suggest that hypermethylation
of the hMLH1 promoter region may be the principal mechanism of gene inactivation in sporadic gastric carcinomas
with a high frequency of MSI (Fleisher et al. 1999; Leung
et al. 1999).
Polymorphisms, including IL1B
Countless research articles focus on the role of polymorphism as a risk factor or protective factor for gastric carcinogenesis. Continuing advances in genotyping technologies
and the inclusion of DNA collection in observational studies have resulted in an increasing number of genetic association studies. Polymorphisms in genes from diverse
molecular pathways have been signiWcantly associated with
GC, such as MTHFR C677T, involved in folate metabolism
Dong et al. (2008a) prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), the
function of which is not well understood (Sakamoto et al.
2008), and the DNA repair genes XPA, XPC, ERCC2 Dong
et al. (2008b; Capella et al. 2008) which play an important
role in repairing DNA damage related to H. pylori-induced
inXammatory process (Li et al. 2009). The role of the activation and detoxiWcation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, by genes such as GSTT1, SULT1A1, NAT2 and the
EPHX1 gene (Boccia et al. 2007) highlight how environmental carcinogens are crucially triggered by a particular
genetic proWle (Agudo et al. 2006). Pathways with a largely
unknown role in GC, such as oestrogen and androgen
metabolizing genes, have also been found to be associated
with GC (Freedman et al. 2009).
Polymorphisms in some genes have been highlighted
more than other, such as the IL1B gene, which appears
pivotal in determining a patient’s inXammatory response to
a H. pylori infection. Interleukin-1beta (IL-1) is a key proinXammatory cytokine, which regulates the expression of
several genes involved in inXammation. It is an endogenous
inhibitor of gastric acid secretion and is important in initiating and enhancing the inXammatory response to H. pylori
infection (Noach et al. 1994). Although the production of
IL-1 depends on several factors, there is increasing evidence that the genetic background plays a major role. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms in IL1B gene have
been studied, and two biallelic polymorphisms at positions
-31 and -511 in the promoter region of IL1B, are in positive
linkage disequilibrium and associated with GC risk. It has
623
been reported that carriers of the IL1B-31C allele, showed
higher plasmatic concentrations of IL-1 than subjects with
wild-type IL1B genotype (Hall et al. 2004) and the IL-1B31C/-511T alleles are associated with increased risk of gastric cancer (El-Omar et al. 2000; El-Omar et al. 2003).
However, there are also studies which do not support
these results (Sitarz et al. 2008b; Murphy et al. 2009),
including Wndings from a relatively extensive Swedish and
Spanish study, which did not lend support to the hypothesis
that human genetic polymorphisms related to the production of IL-1 are associated with the risk of GC (Persson
et al. 2009; Garcia-Gonzalez et al. 2007), which may be
explained by population-speciWc cancer risks. Further Wndings which support the importance of IL1B includes human
IL-1 in transgenic mice, where spontaneous gastric
inXammation and cancer was observed, that correlated with
early recruitment of myeloid-derived suppressor cells
(MDSCs) to the stomach (Tu et al. 2008). Here, IL-1 activated MDSCs in vitro and in vivo through an IL-1RI/NFkappaB pathway and IL1B transgenic mice deWcient in T
and B lymphocytes developed gastric dysplasia accompanied by a marked increase in MDSCs in the stomach. These
results demonstrated that the pathologic elevation of a single proinXammatory cytokine can be suYcient to induce
neoplasia in experimental mice (Tu et al. 2008).
Polymorphisms in other crucial inXammatory molecules
have also been implicated in GC. The toll-like receptors
(TLRs), again important members of the host’s innate
immune response have been found to be polymorphic
(El-Omar et al. 2008). Genetic variation allows for a more
intricate repertoire that enables the host to withstand microbial challenges. While this may be advantageous on a population level, there may be less favourable outcomes for
individuals that harbour certain genotypes associated with
excessive immune activation and inXammatory drive.
There is a role for innate immune responses and TLRs speciWcally in promoting gastrointestinal malignancies (Fukata
and Abreu 2008) and a functional polymorphism of toll-like
receptor 4 has been found to be associated with non-cardia
cancer (Hold et al. 2007). Candidate pathways linking
TLRs to gastrointestinal malignancies include activation of
cyclooxygenase-2, and of nuclear factor-kappaB (NFB), a
crucial inXammatory transcription factor.
TNF alpha, a crucial inXammatory mediator upstream of
NFB has also been implicated in the development of GC
(Zhang et al. 2008b) and interestingly, it has been shown by
meta-analysis that this eVect appears to be restricted to
western populations (Gorouhi et al. 2008). Chemokines
have also been shown to modulate tumour behaviour, and
the sex-speciWc eVect of the chemokine polymorphisms on
the host susceptibility to several diseases has been reported
(Liou et al. 2008). In addition, variant alleles of TGFB1 and
TGFBR2, which occupy a central position in the signalling
123
624
networks that control cell growth and diVerentiation, are
associated with a decreased risk of GC (Jin et al. 2007).
Numerous other polymorphisms have been implicated,
only some of which can be mentioned within the scope of
this article. Host genetic factors are emerging as key determinants of disease risk for many cancers, and the interaction of numerous polymorphisms on a countless genes
products, combined with environmental triggers may
provide crucial clues explaining diverse risks in various
populations. The study of these using SNP chips or studies
where the whole genome are sequenced, may enable us to
assess the strength of the “nature” component in many gastric cancers, assuming we have the accurate bioinformatic
expertises available to cope with such vast amounts of
data.
Summary
The immensity of genes and molecules implicated in gastric carcinogenesis is overwhelming and the relevant
importance of some of these molecules is too often unclear.
Multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations in oncogenes,
tumour-suppressor genes, cell cycle regulators, cell-adhesion molecules, DNA repair genes and genetic instability as
well as telomerase activation are implicated.(Milne et al.
2007) However, particular combinations of these alterations diVer in the two histological types of GC.(Wu et al.
2002; Hou et al. 2008) The diVuse phenotype in GC (hereditary and sporadic) is related to reduced E-cadherin expression(Machado et al. 1999) and loss of E-cadherin is
probably the fundamental defect in diVuse-type gastric carcinoma, providing an explanation for the observed morphological phenotype of discohesive cells with loss of polarity
and gland architecture. However, despite the diVerences in
diVuse and intestinal cancers in terms of the balance of
nature and nurture, there remains a correlation between
diVuse GC and H. pylori infection (Eslick et al. 1999).
Human genetic variation in countless signalling pathway
and aspects of human immune function, along with an individual’s speciWc environmental triggers together with
genetic variation and temporal variation in gene expression
in H. pylori are determinants of GC. Identifying one discriminating biomarker (e.g. COX-2 or p53) has not led to a
new clinical algorithm and has as yet not impacted patient
care as a single biomarker is likely insuYcient for making
such clinical decisions or providing information. Cancer
cells employ multiple and diverse survival pathways (Hahn
and Weinberg 2002) and it is necessary to deWne a battery
of biomarkers (complex signatures that deWne multiple outcomes). Such signatures might more appropriately represent the breadth of molecular diversity inherent in cancers
in general, and pave the way to understanding the impact of
123
Hum Genet (2009) 126:615–628
both nature and nurture on the molecular genetics of gastric
carcinogenesis.
Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any
noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
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