Loss of heterozygosity of the APC and MCC genes in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
- Boston Univ. Medical Center, MA (United States); and others
Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck offers a unique opportunity to study genetic mechanisms in human tumorigenesis. Two types of premalignant lesions can be identified clinically, suggesting a multistep process. The majority of the lesions are easy to identify and access. Despite these advantages, possible genetic models for these cancers remain relatively unexplored. Loss of heterozygosity of the tumor suppressor genes APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) and MCC (mutated in colon cancer) was investigated in 24 squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. Three sites were analyzed by assays based on the polymerase chain reaction: two RFLPs in the APC gene (Rsa I on exon 11; Ssp I on the 3{prime} untranslated region) and an insertion/deletion in exon 10 of the MCC gene. Sixty three percent of the individuals were informative for at least one marker. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was observed in 33% of the tumors, either at the APC or MCC locus. Two out of 11 informative tumors (18%) showed LOH on the APC gene. Three out of seven informative tumors (43%) showed LOH on the MCC gene. These results suggest that inactivation of the APC, MCC and/or a linked gene on chromosome 5q plays a important role in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The data is in agreement with another study, which detected 25% of loss of heterozygosity in the chromosomal region 5q by using microsatellite markers. These values are much lower than the ones observed in esophageal cancer, a closely related type of tumor, with the same etiology. This may be attributed to differences in the biology of these two cancers.
- OSTI ID:
- 133549
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-941009--; CNN: Grant IN97-R
- Journal Information:
- American Journal of Human Genetics, Journal Name: American Journal of Human Genetics Journal Issue: Suppl.3 Vol. 55; ISSN AJHGAG; ISSN 0002-9297
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Microsatellite instability and loss of heterozygosity in gastric cancer
Exclusion of the APC gene as the cause of a variant form of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)