A panel of 4 genes (MYO3A, CA10, NKX6-2, and DBC1 or SOX11) had 81% sensitivity and 97% specificity, whereas a panel of 5 genes (MYO3A, CA10, NKX6-2, DBC1, and SOX11 or PENK) had 85% sensitivity and 95% specificity for detection of bladder cancer (area under curve = 0.939).
The DBCCR1 gene at chromosome 9q33 has been identified as a candidate tumour suppressor, which is frequently targeted by promoter hypermethylation in bladder cancer.
Transient transfection of bladder tumor cell lines showed that DBCCR1 over expression in human bladder tumor cells results in the up-regulation of ASML3a RNA and protein expression.
To better define cytogenetic mechanisms of CDKN2 loss at 9p21 and of DBCCR1 loss at 9q33 in bladder cancer, and to determine correlation with p53 and pRb.
These results demonstrate a role for DBCCR1 in cell cycle control, thereby supporting the hypothesis that this is the tumour suppressor gene targeted by 9q32-33 deletion in bladder cancer.
Although DBCCR1 was expressed in multiple normal human tissues including urothelium, mRNA expression was absent in 5 of 10 (50%) bladder cancer cell lines.