HNPCC: six new pathogenic mutations

• Published in: BMC medical genetics Vol. 5; no. 1; p. 16
• Main Authors: Kunstmann, Erdmute, Vieland, Judith, Brasch, Frank E, Hahn, Stephan A, Epplen, Joerg T, Schulmann, Karsten, Schmiegel, Wolff
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 24.06.2004; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; Adult; Carrier Proteins; Colorectal Neoplasms, Hereditary Nonpolyposis - chemistry; Colorectal Neoplasms, Hereditary Nonpolyposis - diagnosis; Colorectal Neoplasms, Hereditary Nonpolyposis - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - analysis; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; Female; Germ-Line Mutation; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Microsatellite Repeats; Middle Aged; MutL Protein Homolog 1; MutS Homolog 2 Protein; Neoplasm Proteins - analysis; Neoplasm Proteins - genetics; Nuclear Proteins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - analysis; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - genetics
• ISSN: 1471-2350; 1471-2350
• DOI: 10.1186/1471-2350-5-16

Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is an autosomal dominant disease with a high risk for colorectal and endometrial cancer caused by germline mutations in DNA mismatch-repair genes (MMR). HNPCC accounts for approximately 2 to 5% of all colorectal cancers. Here we present 6 novel mutations in the DNA mismatch-repair genes MLH1, MSH2 and MSH6. Patients with clinical diagnosis of HNPCC were counselled. Tumor specimen were analysed for microsatellite instability and immunohistochemistry for MLH1, MSH2 and MSH6 protein was performed. If one of these proteins was not detectable in the tumor mutation analysis of the corresponding gene was carried out. We identified 6 frameshift mutations (2 in MLH1, 3 in MSH2, 1 in MSH6) resulting in a premature stop: two mutations in MLH1 (c.2198_2199insAACA [p.N733fsX745], c.2076_2077delTG [p.G693fsX702]), three mutations in MSH2 (c.810_811delGT [p.C271fsX282], c.763_766delAGTGinsTT [p.F255fsX282], c.873_876delGACT [p.L292fsX298]) and one mutation in MSH6 (c.1421_1422dupTG [p.C475fsX480]). All six tumors tested for microsatellite instability showed high levels of microsatellite instability (MSI-H). HNPCC in families with MSH6 germline mutations may show an age of onset that is comparable to this of patients with MLH1 and MSH2 mutations.