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Microsatellite analysis of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer-associated colorectal adenomas by laser-assisted microdissection: correlation with mismatch repair protein expression provides new insights in early steps of tumorigenesis.

Although microsatellite instability (MSI) testing is a useful tool for molecular screening of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) carcinomas, conflicting results have been obtained in colorectal adenomas. This might result from different techniques of tissue sampling and MSI analysis. Alternatively, some HNPCC-associated adenomas may follow a molecular route that differs from the MSI pathway. In the present study we examined the MSI status of 18 adenomas from 17 HNPCC patients by comparing manual adenoma dissection under gross visual control with laser microdissection of single adenoma crypts. After manual gross dissection, 50% (9 of 18) and 11.1% (2 of 18) of the adenomas displayed high-level (MSI-H) and low-level (MSI-L) MSI, respectively. The same set of adenomas split into 83.3% (15 of 18) MSI-H and 5.6% (1 of 18) MSI-L after laser microdissection. The expression pattern of mismatch repair (MMR) proteins showed a higher concordance rate with the MSI status in laser-dissected (94%) than gross-dissected (47%) adenomas. Whereas two adenomas remained microsatellite stable (MSS) and MMR proficient even after laser-assisted dissection, two MSI-H cases showed either rare instabilities at coding microsatellites or intratumoral heterogeneity of MSI with and without MSH2 expression. This suggests that in some adenomas development of MMR dysfunction occurs stepwise with MSI, arising before complete loss of MMR gene expression, whereas other HNPCC-associated adenomas might develop independently of MMR deficiency.

Adenoma↗

Evaluation of adenoassociated virus 2 and human papilloma virus 16 and 18 infection in cervical cancer biopsies.

OBJECTIVE: Protective roles of adenoassociated virus (AAV) 2 in cervical tumorigenesis are controversial. In an effort to clarify this issue, we tested prevalence of AAV 2 and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in cervical lesions and adjacent normal tissues. METHODS: Tissues of cervical intraepithelial neoplasm (CIN) I (20 patients), CIN II (24 patients), CIN III (25 patients), and invasive cancer (23 patients) were investigated by microdissection and PCR using HPV-16-, HVP-18-, and AAV-2-specific primers. RESULTS: AAV 2 was detected in 11 out of 20 CIN I (55%), 21 out of 24 CIN II (84.5%), 13 out of 25 CIN III (52%), and 12 out of 23 invasive cancer cases (52.2%). However, HPV 16 was detected in none out of 20 CIN I, 2 out of 24 CIN II (8.3%), 6 out of 25 CIN III (24%), and 6 out of 23 invasive cancer cases (26.1%). HPV 18 was detected in 1 case in CIN II (4.2%) and 2 cases in CIN III (8%). In 92 perilesional normal tissues, AAV 2 was detected in 53 cases (57.6%), displaying 25% of CIN I, 83.3% of CIN II, 52% of CIN III, and 65.2% of invasive cancer. CONCLUSION: The differences in AAV 2 prevalence are not significant between CIN and normal tissues. However, differences in HPV 16 are significant in CIN III and invasive cancer, as compared to CIN I, CIN II, and normal, suggesting no significant correlation between AAV 2 and cervical cancer. Thus, these results support the notion that AAV 2 is not associated with cervical tumorigenesis.

Biopsy↗

Microsatellite changes in nipple aspirate fluid and breast tissue from women with breast carcinoma or its precursors.

PURPOSE: Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and microsatellite instability (MSI) have been identified in a variety of human cancers. The purpose of this prospective study was to determine whether (a) DNA can be isolated from nipple aspirate fluid (NAF) and PCR amplified to large fragments, (b) LOH and MSI are detectable in NAF, and (c) LOH and MSI in tissue and NAF increase with disease progression from precursor lesions to cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Forty-six matched samples from breast lesions, normal breast, and NAF were microdissected, and DNA was extracted. Eleven microsatellite markers from seven chromosomes that have a high frequency of LOH/MSI in breast cancer were designed and respectively amplified. RESULTS: LOH and/or MSI were identified in 22 of 46 (48%) breast lesions, including LOH in 8 of 36 (22%) proliferative/papilloma (P/Pap) and 7 of 10 (70%) cancer specimens, whereas MSI was found in 14 of 36 (39%) P/Pap and 6 of 10 (60%) cancer specimens. LOH/MSI loci in which alterations were detected in the 22 tissue specimens were PCR amplified using matched NAF DNA. LOH/MSI was detected in NAF from both P/Pap (5 of 15; 33%) and breast cancer (3 of 7; 43%) samples. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that (a) DNA from NAF, a physiological fluid collected noninvasively, can be PCR amplified and used to screen for LOH and MSI alterations that are known to be linked to breast cancer, suggesting that this methodology might prove useful for breast cancer screening, and (b) similar to findings in breast tissue, LOH and MSI alterations increase in frequency with disease progression in NAF, which suggests that NAF is a surrogate for breast tissue which has important prognostic implications.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Identification of uridine 5'-triphosphate receptor mRNA in rat cochlear tissues.

Previous investigations have reported the presence of uridine 5'-triphosphate (UTP) and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) receptors triggering phospholipase C (PLC) activation in the frog semicircular canal. The aim of this work was to characterize the molecular subtypes of these nucleotide receptors. Due to the lack of molecular tools for purinoceptors in amphibia, this study was performed on the rat. The stria vascularis, organ of Corti and spiral ligament were microdissected from Long Evans rat cochlea. RNA was extracted from four cochleas and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed after reverse transcription (RT) using oligonucleotides for sequences of P2Y1, P2Y2, P2Y4 and P2Y6 receptors. Various tissues were used as negative controls (testis for P2Y1 and P2Y6 receptors, brain for P2Y2 and P2Y4 receptors and liver for P2Y4 receptors). Data show the expression of the four transcripts in the stria vascularis, organ of Corti and spiral ligament. When results were normalized to the signal obtained with S14 mRNA, a ribosomal protein used as an internal standard, expressions were similar in the three structures. In conclusion, these results demonstrate the mRNA expression of the three UTP receptors (P2Y2, P2Y4 and P2Y6) and of the P2Y1 ATP receptor in both sensory and secretory structures of the rat inner ear. Their functional roles remain to be defined.

Animals↗

Sarcoid-like lesions associated with the immune restoration inflammatory syndrome in AIDS: absence of polymerase chain reaction detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in granulomas isolated by laser capture microdissection.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-treated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients can develop granulomatous lesions within the first few weeks of initiating therapy. This immune syndrome, called immune restoration inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), can induce sarcoid-like lesions in tissues. The pathogenesis of these granulomas is currently unknown because no pathogen has been identified to date in the lesions using morphological and/or microbiological approaches. However, the role of certain microbes, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is still debated. The aim of this study was to look for the presence of M. tuberculosis in sarcoid-like lesions occurring in 14 AIDS patients treated with HAART. We used the PCR DNA amplification method in granulomas microdissected from sections stained by hematoxylin-eosin from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens. Results were compared to those obtained from microdissected tuberculosis (TB) granulomas (15 patients) and from microdissected sarcoidosis granulomas (12 patients). M. tuberculosis DNA was undetectable from the microdissected sarcoid-like granulomas, whereas DNA from M. tuberculosis was isolated in all the microdissected TB granulomas and was absent in the microdissected sarcoidosis granulomas. Taken together, these data showed that M. tuberculosis DNA is not associated with the presence of sarcoid-like lesions occurring in HIV-positive patients treated with HAART.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

The role of S100A6 in pancreatic cancer development and its clinical implication as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target.

Recent microarray analyses showed that the S100 family contains members that are candidate diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets. In the present study, to evaluate the involvement of S100A6 in pancreatic cancer and its clinical usefulness for diagnosis, we examined S100A6 mRNA expression in pancreatic tissues and pancreatic juice from patients with different pancreatic diseases. To investigate the role of S100A6 in carcinogenesis of pancreatic cancer and the potential of S100A6 as a diagnostic marker for early detection of pancreatic cancer, we did immunohistochemistry and microdissection-based mRNA analysis of pancreatic normal ducts, pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias, and invasive ductal carcinomas. We also used in vitro experiments and microarray analysis with RNA interference to evaluate the functional role of S100A6 and its potential as a therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer. S100A6 mRNA levels were significantly higher in carcinoma specimens than in nonneoplastic tissues. In pancreatic juice, there was a significant difference in S100A6 expression between patients with carcinoma and those with nonneoplastic disease. Receiver operating characteristic curves revealed that S100A6 might be a useful marker for diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Immunohistochemistry and microdissection-based analysis showed differential expression of S100A6 among normal ducts, pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias, and invasive ductal carcinomas. In vitro data showed that inhibition of S100A6 decreased proliferation and invasiveness of cancer cells, and these findings were supported by microarray data. Our present results suggest that quantitation of S100A6 mRNA is a promising tool for diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and that S100A6 may be a promising therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Toward the application of proteomics to human thyroid tissue.

CONTEXT: In this paper we describe for the first time a systematic approach to proteome analysis of human thyroid tissue. OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: We report different methods to decrease the complexity of the human thyroid tissue proteome by applying different solubilization strategies and correcting for thyroglobulin protein abundance; to increase the protein resolution by prefractionation and by the use of narrow-range pH gradients; to detect proteins using sensitive and quantitative stains; and to identify soluble and membrane-bound thyroid tissue proteins by mass spectrometry analysis. MAIN OUTCOME/RESULTS: We found that buffers containing high contents of urea and detergents allow the best solubilization of human thyroid tissue proteins; highly variable abundance of thyroglobulin is a major pitfall of human thyroid proteome analysis, which in contrast to centrifugal ultrafiltration, size-exclusion chromatography and microdissection, can be countered best by adapting the protein amount to the thyroglobulin content per sample; prefractionation leads to a significant enrichment of proteins and allows subcellar localization of thyroid proteins; application of narrow-range immobilized pH gradient (IPG) strips allows further improvement of spot detection and separation; and protein detection with the fluorescent stain ruthenium II Tris bathophenanthroline disulfonate (RuBPs) is a highly sensitive and reliable tool for quantitative proteome analysis. Finally, in a pilot study of four patients with benign nodular thyroid disease we found that the described procedures allow a highly reproducible detection and identification of alterations in protein expression between nodular and corresponding normal thyroid tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Application of the described methods provides the basis for a highly sensitive and reproducible proteome analysis of the human thyroid, providing an additional novel tool to elucidate complex proteins changes in human thyroid biology as well as pathophysiology of human thyroid disease.

Cell Fractionation↗

Thyroid gland clonality revisited: the embryonal patch size of the normal human thyroid gland is very large, suggesting X-chromosome inactivation tumor clonality studies of thyroid tumors have to be interpreted with caution.

It is widely assumed thyroid carcinomas, adenomas, and many hyperplastic nodules are monoclonal. This belief is based on X-chromosome inactivation analyses of thyroid tumors. However, X-chromosome inactivation studies of tumors are informative only when interpreted in the context of the clonal composition of the surrounding normal tissue, and in the case of thyroid tissue, such analyses have never been systematically performed in humans. The aim of this study was to determine the embryonal patch size of the human thyroid gland. We performed human androgen receptor (HUMARA) assay-based X-chromosome inactivation analysis on 20 microdissected normal thyroid specimens from 16 female subjects. Monoclonality was observed in 70% of tested specimens, and polyclonal X-inactivation patterns were present in only 30% of specimens. According to our results the monoclonal patch size of normal human thyroid tissue is between 48 mm(2) and 128 mm(2) (1-4 x 10(5) thyrocytes). Our data indicate that normal thyroid epithelium is organized into large stem cell-derived monoclonal patches. Therefore, monoclonality in neoplastic and hyperplastic lesions may just be a reflection of normal thyroid epithelium clonal composition.

Adult↗

In microdissected ductal carcinoma in situ, HER-2/neu amplification, but not p53 mutation, is associated with high nuclear grade and comedo histology.

BACKGROUND: HER-2/neu and p53 are two molecular markers that have been the focus of investigation in patients with invasive breast carcinoma. However, most of the published data have relied on immunohistochemical detection of the proteins as a surrogate marker of the underlying genetic alterations, a detection method that often gives variable results due to technical factors. In addition, there are limited data documenting HER-2/neu amplification and p53 mutations in the various histologic subtypes of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The authors evaluated a series of microdissected, pure DCIS lesions comprising a spectrum of morphologic subtypes (comedo, micropapillary, papillary, cribriform, and solid) and their corresponding normal breast tissue for genetic aberrations in HER-2/neu and p53. METHODS: HER-2/neu amplification was determined by differential polymerase chain reaction, and p53 mutations were identified by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. RESULTS: HER-2/neu amplification was identified in 12 of 30 DCIS samples (40%), and p53 mutations were identified in 6 of 30 DCIS samples (20%). The genetic alterations were not present in any of the normal breast tissue samples. HER-2/neu amplification occurred predominantly in the comedo subtype (69% vs. 18% of the noncomedo subtype; P = 0.008) and in lesions of high nuclear grade (63% vs. 14% of low grade; P = 0.01). There was no difference in the frequency of p53 mutations among the subtypes or between low grade and high grade lesions. No correlation between the presence of the two genetic alterations was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of HER-2/neu amplification, but not p53 mutations, correlates with histologic subtype and nuclear grade. The relatively frequent occurrence of HER-2/neu amplification and p53 mutations in DCIS tissue and their absence in normal breast tissue suggest that these genetic aberrations are important early in breast duct carcinogenesis.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Very low incidence of microsatellite instability in intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas.

Intraductal papillary-mucinous carcinoma (IPMC) of the pancreas, a new entity of pancreatic cancer with a favorable prognosis, has shown a gradual increase in the number of reported cases. Patients with high-frequency microsatellite instability (MSI-H) tumors have been shown to survive longer than those with low-frequency MSI (MSI-L) or microsatellite stable (MSS) tumors in colorectal and gastric cancer. We investigated whether MSI-H in patients with IPMC can contribute to a good prognosis. The formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumors and surrounding normal pancreatic tissues from 10 patients with IPMCs and 16 with intraductal papillary-mucinous adenomas (IPMAs) were provided for DNA extraction after microdissection. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out using 8 microsatellite primer marker sets. The mixed PCR samples were analyzed using a genetic analyzer. MSI-H was determined by assessment of microsatellite variations in 3 or more of the 8 tested markers. Immunohistochemical staining of the MSI-responsible proteins hMLH1 and hMSH2 was conducted for both the IPMC and IPMA samples. Ten percent of IPMC harbored MSI-H tumors, whereas no MSI-H tumors were detected in the IPMAs. Thirty percent of IPMC tumors and 25% of IPMA tumors showed MSI-L. All IPMCs and IPMAs showed normal expression of both hMLH1 and hMSH2. MSI-H and loss of hMLH1 and hMSH2 are very rare events in both IPMCs and IPMAs. We conclude that a good prognosis for patients with IPMC is not associated with MSI-H.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Allelic imbalance in the diagnosis of benign, atypical and malignant Spitz tumours.

To test the diagnostic usefulness of allelic imbalance (AI) analysis based on routinely paraffin-embedded tissue, a series of 55 benign Spitz naevi, Spitz tumours with uncertain malignant potential, and malignant Spitzoid melanomas was investigated. Laser microdissection was used to ensure representative sampling of lesional cells and to investigate AI in separate tumour areas of four melanomas. AI was found in 2/12 (17%) typical Spitz naevi, 3/9 (33%) atypical Spitz tumours, 12/17 (65%) atypical Spitz tumours suspicious for melanoma and 15/17 (88%) Spitzoid melanomas. Additional immunohistochemical staining for Ki-67 using the MIB-1 antibody revealed positive deeply situated lesional cells in 0/6 (0%) Spitz naevi, 1/8 (13%) atypical Spitz tumours, 5/14 (35%) atypical Spitz tumours suspicious for melanoma, and 7/14 (50%) Spitzoid melanomas, respectively. Two of the melanomas examined for AI in separate tumour areas showed intratumoural genetic heterogeneity. In view of the finding of AI and deeply situated Ki-67 positive cells not only in melanomas but also in Spitz tumours with uncertain malignant potential, these approaches appear to have no direct diagnostic applicability for the distinction between benign and malignant Spitz tumours. Further molecular studies will be required to determine whether Spitz tumours and Spitzoid melanomas are unrelated entities, or whether there is a true spectrum of tumour progression.

Adolescent↗

Congenital murine polycystic kidney disease. I. The ontogeny of tubular cyst formation.

In the current study, the ontogeny of tubular cyst formation was studied in the CPK mouse, a murine strain with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease. Utilizing the technique of intact nephron microdissection in addition to standard light and transmission electron microscopy, the earliest morphologic alterations in CPK kidneys were localized in fetal tissue at 17 days of gestation to the distal portion of developing proximal tubules. During disease progression, from birth to 21 days of postnatal age, there was a shift in the site of cystic nephron involvement from proximal tubule to collecting tubules without involvement of other nephron segments. Cysts were enlarged tubular segments which remained in continuity with other portions of the nephron and were not associated with abnormalities in the overall pattern of nephron growth or differentiation. Analysis suggested that alterations in transtubular transport in abnormally shortened proximal tubular segments of juxtamedullary nephrons may have pathogenic importance in the early stages of cyst formation, and that epithelial hyperplasia and cytoskeletal alterations may have a role in progressive proximal tubular cystic enlargement. Cellular hyperplasia of epithelial walls of normally formed tubules was a prominent feature of cyst formation and progressive enlargement in collecting tubules. Such data form the basis for future studies into specific pathophysiological processes which may be operative in specific nephron segments during different stages of cyst formation in the CPK mouse.

Animals↗

Molecular analysis of the TSC1 gene in adenocarcinoma of the lung.

We previously reported that loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in tuberous sclerosis 1 (TSC1)-gene-associated region on chromosome 9q34, was frequently observed in adenocarcinoma (AC) of the lung and its putative precursor lesion, atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH). Some novel tumor suppressor gene for AC of the lung may be present in this region, and the TSC1 gene located on chromosome 9q34 is one candidate. The aim of this study was to determine whether the TSC1 gene itself acts as a tumor suppressor gene in the pathogenesis of AC of the lung. DNA extracted from frozen tumor tissue was used to screen 47 ACs of the lung for the presence of mutations in 21 coding exons of the TSC1 gene. When using these bulk tissue specimens, three different types of mutations were detected in five ACs. These positive samples were then submitted to laser capture microdissection to selectively collect tumor cells, DNA extraction and finally analysis of LOH and mutations of the TSC1 gene. Mutations were detected in three ACs, and LOH was detected in another AC. No mutations or LOH was detected in the other AC. Loss of heterozygosity and mutations were not detected simultaneously in the same tumor. We concluded that the TSC1 gene itself does not act as a tumor suppressor gene in the pathogenesis of AC of the lung in accordance with classical Knudsen's two-hit hypothesis. However, the frequent LOH in AC and AAH shown in our previous studies indicate the following possibility in the etiology of AC of the lung: the presence of a novel tumor suppressor gene close to the TSC1 gene, aberrant promoter methylation, or haploid insufficiency of the TSC1 gene.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Prognostic value of EphA2 and EphrinA-1 in squamous cell cervical carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the expressions of the protein and mRNA of EphA2 and EphrinA-1 in squamous cell cervical carcinomas and explore their prognostic value in cervical carcinoma. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the protein expressions of EphA2 and EphrinA-1 in 206 patients with squamous cervical carcinoma FIGO stage Ia-IVb. Frozen tissues from 20 cases in which the tumors showed variable EphA2 and EphrinA-1protein expressions were used for laser capture microdissection (LCM). About 50 cancer cells in each frozen section were captured with the LCM method and processed for RT-PCR detection of EphA2 and EphrinA-1 mRNA. RESULTS: Among the 206 squamous cervical carcinomas, 23 (11.2%) showed negative, 94(45.6%) weakly positive, 72 (35.0%) moderately positive, and 17 (8.3%) strongly positive for EphA2 immunostaining. For EphrinA-1 protein expression, 17 tumors (8.3%) showed negative, 95 (46.1%) weakly positive, 71(34.5%) moderately positive, and 23 (11.2%) strongly positive. EphA2 and EphrinA-1 often colocalized in the same tumor areas and vascular endothelial cells. Variable amount of mRNA expressions of EphA2 and EphrinA-1 were observed in the 20 tumors analyzed. There was no significant correlation between the overexpressions of EphA2/EphrinA-1 and age and FIGO stage. High level of EphA2 was significantly associated with overall survival in univariate and multivariate analysis. Moderate to high EphrinA-1 protein expression was significantly associated with overall survival in multivariate analysis. The combined high level of expression of EhpA2 and moderate to high level of expression of EphrinA-1 was a strong predictor of overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of EphA2 together with moderate to high level of EphrinA-1 protein expressions in squamous cervical carcinoma were predictive for a shorter overall survival and these proteins may be valuable prognostic markers.

Adult↗

Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy for early detection of regional and distant metastases of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid.

Three patients are described who had regional and distant metastases of medullary thyroid cancer detected by somatostatin receptor scintigraphy but not by CT; two had minimal disease that was amenable to surgery. The first patient had been followed for 2 years before having a repeated scan and positive CT, with subsequent surgical removal of metastatic paratracheal nodes. The plasma calcitonin level, however, did not approach normal values after surgery, and a third scan showed persistence of focal uptake in the left paratracheal area of the lower neck, whereas CT was negative. At repeated exploration, a tumor mass of medullary carcinoma, embedded in lymphatic tissue, was removed. Nine months after the last surgical procedure, calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen levels were normal. The second patient underwent microdissection of the mediastinum and removal of two metastatic nodes that were demonstrable only by the scintigraphic technique. The plasma calcitonin level subsequently became normal. The third patient, with multiple endocrine neoplasia IIB and associated pheochromocytoma, had bony metastatic involvement of the left shoulder, demonstrable initially on somatostatin receptor scintigraphy and subsequently with radioiodinated metaiodobenzylguanidine but not on CT.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine↗

Loss of heterozygosity at microsatellite markers from region p11-21 of chromosome 8 in microdissected breast tumor but not in peritumoral cells.

Alterations of chromosomal region 8p11-21 are very frequent in human cancers, and especially in breast cancer; yet, most of the genes involved have not been identified. We performed laser capture microdissection in a series of 52 consecutive breast tumor samples to obtain pure tumor cells without surrounding normal breast. To determine genomic subregions in which some of the cancer genes may be located, we conducted a search for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 13 microsatellite markers from this region. Two-thirds of the tumors showed LOH at least at one marker. Microdissection of pure tumor samples was helpful to precisely define four LOH subregions. No LOH was observed in the corresponding peritumoral tissues. We studied by immunohistochemistry (IHC) on tissue-microarrays the expression in the same tumors, of the protein product of three potential tumor genes lying close to or within the subregions of LOH. In most samples, the TACC1 gene product was downregulated in tumor cells as compared to normal cells. Our results show that the centromeric portion of chromosome arm 8p is frequently altered in breast tumor cells.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Semiautomated quantitative detection of loss of heterozygosity in the tumor suppressor gene p53.

The most frequently altered gene in diverse tumor types is the tumor suppressor gene p53. Typically, normal function is inactivated by point mutation of one allele and deletion of the other. Therefore, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of intragenic polymorphic markers is a strong indication for p53 involvement in a cancerous lesion. This study shows that a highly polymorphic short tandem repeat (STR) within intron 1 of p53 is an excellent marker for quantitative evaluation of LOH in tumor samples, whose multicolor, fluorescently tagged PCR products are analyzed and quantitated on an automated DNA sequencer. The range of error was analyzed in detail. Discrete allelic profiles were obtained following amplification of DNA from microdissected cell samples of patients with urogenital tumors. By calculating qLOH, the relative allele ratio of a tumor compared with healthy tissue, a quantitative expression for the LOH is obtained. PCR-based tumor DNA typing using fluorescent STR primers and automated analysis provides an enhanced level of accuracy and sensitivity required for routine analysis in clinical practice, where large numbers of tumor samples have to be processed.

Alleles↗