No evidence for germline PTEN mutations in families with breast and brain tumours

• Published in: International journal of cancer Vol. 84; no. 3; pp. 216 - 219
• Main Authors: Laugé, Anthony, Lefebvre, Céline, Laurent‐Puig, Pierre, Caux, Virginie, Gad, Sophie, Eng, Charis, Longy, Michel, Stoppa‐Lyonnet, Dominique
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 21.06.1999; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Brain Neoplasms - genetics; Breast Neoplasms - genetics; Female; Germ-Line Mutation; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases - genetics; PTEN Phosphohydrolase; Tumor Suppressor Proteins; Tumors; Human; Intracranial; Nervous system diseases; Malignant tumor; Cerebral disorder; Mammary gland diseases; Family story; Germ line; Central nervous system disease; Predisposition; Genetics; Mammary gland; Mutation; Antecedent; Tumor suppressor gene
• ISSN: 0020-7136; 1097-0215
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(19990621)84:3<216::AID-IJC3>3.0.CO;2-E

Germline mutations of the PTEN gene are involved in Cowden disease, a genetic condition associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Further somatic PTEN mutations have been found in glioblastomas and to a lesser extent in meningiomas. Therefore, PTEN germline mutations were searched for in a series of 20 unrelated women with breast cancer who also had a personal or familial breast‐brain tumour history. Inclusion criteria were 1. family history of breast cancer; 2. absence of germline BRCA1 and p53 mutation; and 3. at least one case of brain tumour (glioblastoma, meningioma, or medulloblastoma) in either the index case or one of their first or second degree relatives. Any stigmata of Cowden disease was an exclusion criteria. Screening of the PTEN gene for point mutations or small rearrangements were performed using the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis method on the 9 coding exons. No disease‐associated mutation of the PTEN gene has been detected in our series. It is, thus, unlikely that PTEN is a significant BRCA predisposing locus. However, one might ask whether breast cancer cases resulting from germline PTEN mutation could occur without any mammary histological feature of Cowden disease. Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.) 84:216–219, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.