Effectors of epidermal growth factor receptor pathway: the genetic profiling ofKRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, NRAS mutations in colorectal cancer characteristics and personalized medicine

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 10;8(12):e81628. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081628. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Mutations in KRAS oncogene are recognized biomarkers that predict lack of response to anti- epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody therapies. However, some patients with KRAS wild-type tumors still do not respond, so other downstream mutations in BRAF, PIK3CA and NRAS should be investigated. Herein we used direct sequencing to analyze mutation status for 676 patients in KRAS (codons 12, 13 and 61), BRAF (exon 11 and exon 15), PIK3CA (exon 9 and exon 20) and NRAS (codons12, 13 and 61). Clinicopathological characteristics associations were analyzed together with overall survival (OS) of metastatic colorectal cancer patients (mCRC). We found 35.9% (242/674) tumors harbored a KRAS mutation, 6.96% (47/675) harbored a BRAF mutation, 9.9% (62/625) harbored a PIK3CA mutation and 4.19% (26/621) harbored a NRAS mutation. KRAS mutation coexisted with BRAF, PIK3CA and NRAS mutation, PIK3CA exon9 mutation appeared more frequently in KRAS mutant tumors (P = 0.027) while NRAS mutation almost existed in KRAS wild-types (P<0.001). Female patients and older group harbored a higher KRAS mutation (P = 0.018 and P = 0.031, respectively); BRAF (V600E) mutation showed a higher frequency in colon cancer and poor differentiation tumors (P = 0.020 and P = 0.030, respectively); proximal tumors appeared a higher PIK3CA mutation (P<0.001) and distant metastatic tumors shared a higher NRAS mutation (P = 0.010). However, in this study no significant result was found between OS and gene mutation in mCRC group. To our knowledge, the first large-scale retrospective study on comprehensive genetic profile which associated with anti-EGFR MoAbs treatment selection in East Asian CRC population, appeared a specific genotype distribution picture, and the results provided a better understanding between clinicopathological characteristics and gene mutations in CRC patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / therapy
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism*
  • Female
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / genetics
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation*
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / genetics
  • Precision Medicine*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
  • Signal Transduction / genetics*
  • Survival Analysis
  • Young Adult
  • ras Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • KRAS protein, human
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • PIK3CA protein, human
  • ErbB Receptors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases
  • NRAS protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
  • ras Proteins

Grants and funding

This study was supported in part by grants from the Research Special Fund for Public Welfare Industry of Health (200902002-1), National Science and Technology Major Project (2008ZX09312, 2012ZX09303012), National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (2011AA02A110) (http://www.863.gov.cn/); Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission (Z121107005112005, Z121102009212055), Special Funds for Central Health Authority (B2009B124) and Major Research Program of Cancer Institute and Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (LC2012A18). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.