gms | German Medical Science

78th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

16.05. - 20.05.2007, Munich

Checkpointkinase 2 1100delC mutations in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SSCHN)

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author Kathrin Scheckenbach - Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • Galatia Papadopoulos - Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • Thomas K. Hoffmann - Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • Christian Plettenberg - Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • Henning Bier - Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • Vera Balz - Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. 78th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. Munich, 16.-20.05.2007. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2007. Doc07hno089

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/hno2007/07hno089.shtml

Published: August 8, 2007

© 2007 Scheckenbach et al.
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Outline

Text

Background: The checkpointkinase 2 (CHK2) is part of the highly conserved ATM-CHK2 signaling pathway, which is activated in response to DNA-damage. By induction of downstream targets, of which one of the major ones is the tumorsuppressor p53, its activation leads to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Recently, the presence of CHK2 germline as well as somatic mutations have been reported to be involved in carcinogenesis.

At least for some carcinomas these mutations are described to be mutationally exclusive to the presence of p53 mutations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of CHK2 germline mutation 1100delC in patients suffering from squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN). This mutation leads to a frameshift and therefore the formation of a new stop codon, and finally results in a truncated, instable, and inactive CHK2 protein.

Methods: In DNA of peripheral blood lymphocytes of 64 patients suffering from SCCHN, we performed sequence analysis of exon 10 of CHK2.

Results: There was no 1100delC mutation detected in 64 patients suffering from SCCHN

Conclusion: The 1100delC germline mutation does not seem to play a role in the predisposition for developing SCCHN.