SUMMARYWe characterized the epigenetic landscape of genes encoding long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) across 6,475 tumors and 455 cancer cell lines. In stark contrast to the CpG island hypermethylation phenotype in cancer, we observed a recurrent hypomethylation of 1,006 lncRNA genes in cancer, including EPIC1 (epigeneticallyinduced lncRNA1). Overexpression of EPIC1 is associated with poor prognosis in luminal B breast cancer patients and enhances tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, EPIC1 promotes cell-cycle progression by interacting with MYC through EPIC1's 129-283 nt region. EPIC1 knockdown reduces the occupancy of MYC to its target genes (e.g., CDKN1A, CCNA2, CDC20, and CDC45). MYC depletion abolishes EPIC1's regulation of MYC target and luminal breast cancer tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common and lethal malignancy. Thus, improvement in current knowledge of molecular changes associated with OSCC is urgently needed to explore novel avenues of diagnostics and treatment of this disease. While aberrant expression of long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been functionally associated with certain types of cancer, including lung, breast and prostate carcinomas, their expression pattern and biological relevance in OSCC is currently unknown. In the present study, the relative abundance of a collection of lncRNAs in tissue or saliva samples from OSCC patients was investigated. It was shown that subsets of lncRNAs are expressed across non‑tumor, tumor and metastatic tissue samples. Some detected lncRNAs were shown to be aberrantly expressed in cases of oral cancer and metastasis. Moreover, whole saliva contained a detectable amount of some lncRNAs, which appeared to be potential markers for OSCC. These findings suggest that the detection of lncRNAs in saliva may be used as a noninvasive and rapid diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of oral cancer.

We assessed the separate and combined effects of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and aflatoxin in causing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Qidong, China. A consecutive series of 181 pathologic-diagnosed HCC cases were studied for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HBc, HBV X gene sequence, anti-HCV, the 249ser-p53 mutation, and chronic hepatitis pathology. Each of the 181 incident HCC cases had markers for HBV infection and hepatitis pathology; only 6 of 119 cases were coinfected with HCV. The 249ser-p53 mutation was found in 54% (97/181) of HCC cases and in all 7 cases with tissue for analysis from the hepatitis cohort but in none of 42 matched cases from Beijing. The estimated cumulative dose of aflatoxin B1 in these 7 cases ranged from 0.13 to 0.49 mg/kg. Follow-up data through 13.25 years on a cohort of 145 men with chronic HBV hepatitis showed that the relative risk from aflatoxin exposure was 3.5 (1.5-8.1). A similar relative risk was found using 249ser-p53 mutation as a marker for aflatoxin exposure. In conclusion, HBV hepatitis is ubiquitous in Qidong HCC cases, whereas HCV contributes little to its risk. The 249ser-p53 mutation appears to result from coexposure to aflatoxin and HBV infection. Even modest levels of aflatoxin exposure tripled the risk of HCC in HBV-infected men. H epatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common cancer and kills 300,000 or more people each year in China. 1,2 The close linkage of hepatitis B virus (HBV) to HCC was largely established in epidemiologic studies based on the detection of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) in sera. In Qidong, China, about 16% of the adult population are seropositive for HBsAg. This marker is not present in every person infected with HBV, however. Early studies had shown that many HBsAg seronegative HCC patients in Qidong had evidence of HBV infection determined by immunohistochemistry 3 or by molecular hybridization in European cases. 4 Fujimoto et al. 5 reported that 23 of 26 HCC cases from Qidong were HBV positive by Southern blot analysis, including 3 HBsAg seronegatives. Paterlini et al. 6 had shown by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assays that HBV X gene-related transcripts were often found in the diseased and normal hepatic tissues of HBsAg-negative HCC patients. In Japan, many HCC cases attributed to hepatitis C virus (HCV) were found to have markers of HBV infection. 7-9 Zhang et al. 10 reported that PCR analysis of 21 HBsAg seronegative HCC cases in Qidong revealed HBV X gene sequence in the HCC DNA of every case. A recent cohort study in Qidong also showed that HBV worked synergistically with aflatoxin, HCV, and family history to significantly enhance HCC incidence. 11 Using an extensive set of assays, we sought to determine whether HBV infection is virtually ubiquitous in HCC cases in Qidong. Such a finding would have implications for understanding the carcinogenic process

BackgroundMoyamoya disease (MMD) is an uncommon cerebrovascular disorder characterized by progressive occlusion of the internal carotid artery causing cerebral ischemia and hemorrhage. Genetic factors in the etiology and pathogenesis of MMD are being increasingly recognized. Previous studies have shown that the RNF213 gene was related to MMD susceptibility in the Japanese population. However, there is no large scale study of the association between this gene and MMD in the Chinese Han population. Thus we designed this case-control study to validate the R4810K mutation and to define the further spectrum of RNF213 mutations in Han Chinese.Methodology/Principal FindingsGenotyping of the R4810K mutation in the RNF213 gene was performed in 170 MMD cases and 507 controls from a Chinese Han population. The R4810K mutation was identified in 22 of 170 MMD cases (13%), including 21 heterozygotes and a single familial homozygote. Two of the 507 controls (0.4%) were heterozygous R4810K carriers. The R4810K mutation greatly increased the risk for MMD (OR = 36.7, 95% CI: 8.6∼156.6, P = 6.1 E-15). The allele frequency of R4810K was significantly different between patients with ischemia and hemorrhage (OR = 5.4, 95% CI: 1.8∼16.1, P = 0.001). Genomic sequencing covering RNF213 exon 40 to exon 68 also identified eight other non-R4810K variants; P4007R, Q4367L, A4399T, T4586P, L4631V, E4950D, A5021V and M5136I. Among them A4399T polymorphism was found in 28/170 cases (16.5%) and 45/507 controls (8.9%) and was associated with MMD (OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2∼3.3, P = 0.004), especially with hemorrhage (OR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.2∼6.5, P = 0.014).Conclusions RNF213 mutations are associated with MMD susceptibility in Han Chinese. The ischemic type MMD is particularly related to the R4810K mutation. However, A4399T is also a susceptible variant for MMD, primarily associated with hemorrhage. Identification of novel variants in the RNF213 gene further highlights the genetic heterogeneity of MMD.