To determine if alterations of DNA copy number in genes involved in 5-FU metabolism-impacted clinical resistance to 5-FU-based chemotherapy, we assessed thymidylate synthetase (TYMS) and thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP) copy number in colorectal liver metastases.
To address this issue, we studied TSER genotype, TS expression, and activity with specific polymerase chain reaction and activity assays (TS catalytic activity and FdUMP binding) in normal (liver, mucosa) and malignant (primary tumor and liver metastasis) tissues from 83 patients with CRC.
In this study, we evaluated the correlation between sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and the mRNA expression level of several 5-FU-related metabolic enzymes [thymidylate synthase, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), thymidylate phosphorylase (TP), orotate phosphoribosyl transferase, and uridine phosphorylase] in primary colorectal cancer and synchronous liver metastases from ten patients to investigate how colorectal cancer acquires 5-FU resistance during liver metastases.
When matched tissue sets were compared on an individual basis, there was a significant correlation for TS mRNA expression between primary cancer and corresponding liver metastases (rs=0.52, p=0.0026).
In both primary tumor and liver metastasis, the TS mRNA levels correlated significantly with the OPRT mRNA level (primary rS=0.83, P=0.00000081; liver metastasis rS=0.49, P=0.017), while the DPD mRNA level correlated significantly with the TP mRNA level rS=0.81, P=0.0000024; rS=0.63, P=0.0014; respectively).
We have found that mRNA levels of the E2F family of transcription factors correlates with TS message levels and are higher in lung metastases than in liver metastases of colorectal cancers.
The aim of this study was to evaluate three molecular genetic markers - p53, DCC (deleted in colonic cancer) and thymidylate synthase - in both the primary colorectal tumour and the resected hepatic metastases, and to determine their correlation, if any, with survival in patients with resected hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer.