Genetic and epigenetic alterations in normal tissues have differential impacts on cancer risk among tissues.

ABSTRACT: Genetic and epigenetic alterations are both involved in carcinogenesis, and their low-level accumulation in normal tissues constitutes cancer risk. However, their relative importance has never been examined, as measurement of low-level mutations has been difficult. Here, we measured low-level accumulations of genetic and epigenetic alterations in normal tissues with low, intermediate, and high cancer risk and analyzed their relative effects on cancer risk in the esophagus and stomach. Accumulation of genetic alterations, estimated as a frequency of rare base substitution mutations, significantly increased according to cancer risk in esophageal mucosae, but not in gastric mucosae. The mutation patterns reflected the exposure to lifestyle risk factors. In contrast, the accumulation of epigen

SUBMITTER: Yamashita S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5819434 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature