INVESTIGATION OF CHROMOSOME 9Q22.3-Q31 DNA MARKER LOSS IN ODONTOGENICKERATOCYSTS

Multiple basal cell carcinomas and odontogenic keratocysts of the jaws are a feature of the inherited naevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS), although both occur more commonly as single, sporadic cases. The NBCCS gene has been mapped to chromosome 9q22.3-q31 and loss of he terozygosity for DNA markers from this region has been observed in fam ilial and sporadic basal cell carcinomas. Based on these observations, we undertook a pilot study to determine if a similar pattern of chrom osome loss occurs in odontogenic keratocysts. DNA extracted from micro dissected odontogenic keratocyst epithelium was examined for loss of h eterozygosity for six polymorphic DNA markers mapping to human chromos ome 9q22.3-q31. Allelotype loss was detected in epithelium from three, single, sporadic odontogenic keratocysts. These results implicate hom ozygous inactivation of the NBCCS gene in the initiation and progressi on of the odontogenic keratocyst. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd