JCI - The aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor is a putative tumor suppressor gene in multiple human cancers

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor is a putative tumor suppressor gene in multiple human cancers

Enrique Zudaire, Natalia Cuesta, Vundavalli Murty, Karen Woodson, Lisa Adams, Nieves Gonzalez, Alfredo Martínez, Gopeshwar Narayan, Ilan Kirsch, Wilbur Franklin, Fred Hirsch, Michael Birrer, Frank Cuttitta

Published in Volume 118, Issue 2

J Clin Invest. 2008; 118(2):640–650 doi:10.1172/JCI30024

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Figure 1

AHRR mRNA expression levels in tumors and normal controls as assessed by real-time PCR.

(A) Significant downregulation in AHRR mRNA (between 30% and 90%) was observed in tumors from several origins. Data are presented as a ratio of mRNA levels in tumor versus normal control. (B) Primary colon tumors showed a very strong downregulation of AHRR mRNA when compared with normal controls. Interestingly, nonmalignant colon polyps exhibited a more moderate downregulation of AHRR mRNA when compared with colon tumors. Statistically significant differences were achieved when comparing levels of AHRR in normal tissue with levels in polyps. (C) AHRR expression levels in normal cervical tissue, cervical tumor cell lines, and primary cervical tumors. Strong downregulation or complete ablation of AHRR mRNA was observed in 100% of cell lines and 80% of the primary tumors when compared with normal controls. Little variation was observed in the levels of AHRR mRNA among the normal controls. (D) All ovarian tumor cell lines included in this study showed downregulation of AHRR mRNA levels when compared with normal ovarian cell lines. (E) Box-and-whisker plot showing significant downregulation AHRR mRNA levels observed in lung tumors and normal tissues from the same patients. ***P < 0.001.