Overexpression of BRCA1-IRIS protein in familial ovarian cancers with no BRCA1 or BRCA2 germline mutation
5513 Background: Germline mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes account for the majority of hereditary breast-ovarian carcinomas. Nevertheless, in some patients with family history of ovarian cancers, neither point mutations nor genomic alterations are identified. Recently, IRIS gene, an open reading frame that extended from codon 1 of BRCA1 to a termination point in intron 11, has been identified. The encoded protein has been reported to play a role in controlling the replication origins firing (ROF) pathway. The study presented here aims at characterizing whether ROF-related proteins are differentially expressed among familial ovarian cancers associated with a germline BRCA1 or 2 mutation, familial ovarian cancers with wild-type BRCA1/2 genes, and sporadic ovarian cancers. Methods: Tumor samples from 72 patients with ovarian cancer and screened for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation because of family history of breast/ovarian cancer were collected. These cases were matched with 134 sporadic ovarian cancers (controls) according to age, year of diagnosis, tumor stage, histological subtype, and grade. The cases distributed among 26 BRCA1-linked (BRCA1*) tumors, 9 BRCA2-linked (BRCA2*) tumors and 37 with no identified mutation (BRCA1wt/BRCA2wt). Tissue micro-arrays were prepared from the paraffin blocks. P53, MCM3, MCM4, Geminin, PTTG and BRCA1-IRIS immuno-expression were scored with no information on the sample group as follows: the final score was the product of the positive cells percentage by the staining intensity, the final result being used as a continuous variable. Differences between cases and controls were tested by a Wilcoxon test for paired samples. Results: IRIS expression was significantly higher in familial cancers than in controls (P=0.002). When BRCA1/2 genes status was taken into account, differences remained significant when BRCA1wt/BRCA2wt tumors (P=0.04), but not when BRCA1* tumors were compared with controls. However, the latter showed significant higher expression of Geminin than controls (P=0.04). Conclusions: BRCA-1 IRIS protein is overaccumulated in ovarian cancers developed by patients with family history. Our results suggest IRIS may play a role in the development of ovarian cancers and could be related with an ovarian susceptibility. No significant financial relationships to disclose.