The activation of oncogenes and the inactivation of tumour suppresser genes
play a critical role in laryngeal tumorigenesis. Recent investigations rev
ealed that 8p, 9p and 17q arms of human chromosomes harbour tumour suppress
or genes (TSGs) such as p16 and BRCA1 with an important role in the multist
age carcinogenesis of the larynx. In order to investigate the implication o
f these novel TSGs in the development of laryngeal neoplasia we performed a
loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis using a bank of 15 polymorphic micro
satellite markers (4 at 8p21, 7 at 9p21 arm and 3 at 17q arm surrounding th
e BRCA1 region) in a series of 32 cytological specimens (19 squamous cell c
arcinoma, 13 benign lesions of the larynx). Both benign and malignant speci
mens exhibited genetic alterations with at least one microsatellite marker.
Fifteen (47%) out of the 32 specimens exhibited LOH at 8p21, 25/32 (78%) s
howed LOH at 9p21 and 18/32 (56%) displayed LOH at 17q21. Genetic alteratio
ns were detected in both benign and malignant lesions for all the loci test
ed suggesting an important role of these regions in the development of lary
ngeal neoplasia. This is the first report of detection of microsatellite al
terations not only in solid rumours of the larynx but in laryngeal cytologi
cal specimens, suggesting that microsatellite analysis may be a useful tool
in the primary diagnosis of the disease. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. Al
l rights reserved.