FREQUENT MICROSATELLITE INSTABILITY IN ORAL-CANCER

In oder to confirm whether microsatellite instability (MI) contributes to oral carcinogenesis, we studied 30 unrelated patients with oral ca ncer by PCR-MI assay with 14 microsatellite markers. MI was detected i n 60% of 30 primary tumors. Tn particular, 12 of these cases presented at least two loci with MI, which were considered as patients with rep lication error (RER). Moreover, an additional MI, which was not observ ed in the primary tumor and normal tissue, was observed in one lymph n ode metastasis. We found significant correlation between RER and lymph node metastasis. These results suggest that RER is a common event in the oncogenesis of oral cancer and may be correlated with the progress ion of this disease.