MICROSATELLITE INSTABILITY IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY-DISEASE

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a relatively common di sease, affecting mainly males in the western world. Although substanti al data are available as regards the clinicopathological characterizat ion of COPD, little is known of the molecular basis of the disease. In the present study we analysed the incidence of microsatellite instabi lity (MI) in cytological specimens from patients with COPD. MI reflect s increased mutational rate and is associated with decreased accuracy in the DNA repair, resulting in the accumulation of somatic mutations in cells manifesting this genetic alteration. Among 31 specimens teste d, 7 (23%) exhibited MI in at least one among 6 microsatellite markers tested. 5 cases were affected in only one marker while the remaining two cases exhibited evidence of MI in two microsatellite markers. Thes e data suggest that an elevated mutational rate as reflected by the in creased incidence of MI is associated with the development of the dise ase.