Diagnostic utility of glycosyltransferase mRNA expression in gastric cancer

Showkat Ahmad Bhat; Manzoor Ur Rahman Mir; Sabhiya Majid; Tehseen Hassan; Muneeb U Rehman; Sonallah Kuchy

doi:10.1016/j.hemonc.2018.03.002

Diagnostic utility of glycosyltransferase mRNA expression in gastric cancer

Hematol Oncol Stem Cell Ther. 2018 Sep;11(3):158-168. doi: 10.1016/j.hemonc.2018.03.002. Epub 2018 Apr 27.

Authors

Showkat Ahmad Bhat¹, Manzoor Ur Rahman Mir², Sabhiya Majid³, Tehseen Hassan⁴, Muneeb U Rehman⁵, Sonallah Kuchy⁶

Affiliations

¹ Division of Veterinary Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Srinagar, India. Electronic address: showkatbht@gmail.com.
² Division of Veterinary Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Srinagar, India. Electronic address: vbcbiochemistry@gmail.com.
³ Department of Biochemistry, Government Medical College, Srinagar, India. Electronic address: biochemistrygmcsrinagar@gmail.com.
⁴ Department of Biochemistry, Government Medical College, Srinagar, India. Electronic address: khan.teh@gmail.com.
⁵ Division of Veterinary Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Srinagar, India. Electronic address: muneebjh@gmail.com.
⁶ Department of Oncology, Government Medical College, Srinagar, India. Electronic address: k_sanaullah@yahoo.co.in.

PMID: 29729225
DOI: 10.1016/j.hemonc.2018.03.002

Abstract

Objective/background: Posttranslational modification of proteins, including glycosylation, is known to differ between normal and tumor cells. Altered glycosyltransferase levels have been observed in tumor tissues and their role in tumor metastasis and invasion has been implicated. In this study the role of altered glycosyltransferase messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in serum of gastric cancer patients as early markers of gastric cancer was evaluated.

Methods: In this case control study the expression profile of ppGalNAc-T6, GlcNAcT-V, ST3Gal I, ST3 Gal IV, and ST6GalNAc-I in normal healthy control and gastric cancer patients was compared. Serum was isolated from blood samples of gastric cancer patients (n = 200) and controls (n = 200). Following RNA extraction, reverse transcription was carried out and transcript levels of glycosyltransferases were determined using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and normalized against glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) expression. The amount of target gene, normalized to an endogenous reference gene relative to calibrator was calculated by using ΔΔCT method. Transcript levels in the serum samples of gastric cancer patients were compared with those of controls; also the same was correlated within sex and different stages of disease.

Results: The mRNA expression of ppGalNAc-T6 and ST6GalNAc-I was significantly higher in serum samples of gastric cancer patients on comparison with controls (p = .008), however, there was no significant difference in mRNA expression of GlcNAcT-V, ST3Gal I, and ST3 Gal IV in serum samples of gastric cancer patients and controls (p = .097). In addition, no significant association of mRNA expression of these glycosyltransferases was found within sex and stages in this study.

Conclusion: This study revealed the potential of ppGalNAc-T6 and ST6GalNAc-I mRNA transcript levels in serum as markers of gastric cancer. Further studies on the wider range of glycosyltransferases in various cancers are needed to establish signature mRNA batteries as minimally invasive markers of gastric cancer.

Keywords: Diagnostic utility glycosyltransferases; Gastric cancer; mRNA expression.

MeSH terms

Female
Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic*
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
Glycosyltransferases / blood*
Humans
Male
Neoplasm Proteins / blood*
RNA, Messenger / blood*
RNA, Neoplasm / blood*
Stomach Neoplasms / blood*

Substances

Neoplasm Proteins
RNA, Messenger
RNA, Neoplasm
Glycosyltransferases