Identification of Two Novel HOXB13 Germline Mutations in Portuguese Prostate Cancer Patients

PLoS One. 2015 Jul 15;10(7):e0132728. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132728. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

The HOXB13 germline variant G84E (rs138213197) was recently described in men of European descent, with the highest prevalence in Northern Europe. The G84E mutation has not been found in patients of African or Asian ancestry, which may carry other HOXB13 variants, indicating allelic heterogeneity depending on the population. In order to gain insight into the full scope of coding HOXB13 mutations in Portuguese prostate cancer patients, we decided to sequence the entire coding region of the HOXB13 gene in 462 early-onset or familial/hereditary cases. Additionally, we searched for somatic HOXB13 mutations in 178 prostate carcinomas to evaluate their prevalence in prostate carcinogenesis. Three different patients were found to carry in their germline DNA two novel missense variants, which were not identified in 132 control subjects. Both variants are predicted to be deleterious by different in silico tools. No somatic mutations were found. These findings further support the hypothesis that different rare HOXB13 mutations may be found in different ethnic groups. Detection of mutations predisposing to prostate cancer may require re-sequencing rather than genotyping, as appropriate to the population under investigation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / epidemiology
  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics*
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Base Sequence
  • Case-Control Studies
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Gene Frequency
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Genotype
  • Germ-Line Mutation*
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Pedigree
  • Portugal
  • Prevalence
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Risk Factors

Substances

  • HOXB13 protein, human
  • Homeodomain Proteins

Grants and funding

SM was awarded a PhD grant (SFRH/BD/71397/2010) by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (http://www.fct.pt/index.phtml.en). MC and MP are research fellows of the Portuguese Cancer League (http://www.ligacontracancro.pt/). The project was funded by the Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto (http://www.ipoporto.pt/en/; grant reference: CI-IPOP 16-2012). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.