OVERREPRESENTATION OF 3Q AND 8Q MATERIAL AND LOSS OF 18Q MATERIAL ARERECURRENT FINDINGS IN ADVANCED HUMAN OVARIAN-CANCER

In order to define the ability of comparative genomic hybridization (C GH) to detect and map genetic imbalances, we investigated 47 malignant ovarian tumors and 2 ovarian tumors of low malignant potential. The m ost common genetic changes in order of frequency included DNA gains of chromosome arms 8q(53%), 3q(51%), 20q(43%), 1p(32%), 19q(30%), 1q(28% ), 12p(28%), 6p(21%), and 2q(19%). The smallest regions of overreprese ntation could be defined in 3q26-qter, 8q23-qter, 1p35-pter, 12p12, an d 6p21-22, respectively. Losses were detected on 18q(23%), chromosome 4(23%), 13q (17%), and 16q(17%) with the smallest underrepresented reg ions on 18q22-qter, 13q21, and 16q23-qter, Also, losses of the X chrom osome (19%) were detected, correlating with higher ages of the patient s. Therefore, some of these X chromosome losses might be due to a well -known aging phenomenon and in these cases will be more preferably los t during cell division and tumor progression. Our findings show that o varian carcinomas reveal consistent chromosomal abnormalities. Further detailed studies of these regions with specific molecular genetic tec hniques may lead to the identification of oncogenes and/or tumor suppr essor genes playing an important role in the tumorigenesis of ovarian carcinomas. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.