FREQUENT LOSS OF 11P13 AND 11P15 LOCI IN MALE GERM-CELL TUMORS

Deletions within the short arm of the human chromosome II have been fo und to be involved in the genesis of several tumours, including differ ent urogenital neoplasms. We have studied 31 male germ cell tumours (1 9 seminomas and 12 nonseminomas), and observed loss of heterozygosity at 11p loci in 40% (12/30) of these tumours [35% (9/26) at 11p13 and 3 1% (8/26) at 11p15]. Our data suggest that inactivation of one or more tumour suppressor genes on 11p are involved in the genesis of testicu lar cancer. In addition, identification of the parental origin of the allelic losses revealed a paternal loss in six patients and a maternal loss in one case.