Three independently deleted regions at chromosome arm 16q in human prostate cancer: allelic loss at 16q24.1-q24.2 is associated with aggressive behaviour of the disease, recurrent growth, poor differentiation of the tumour and poor prognosis for the patient

Loss of heterozygosity at chromosome arm 16q is a frequent event in human p rostate cancer. In this study, loss of heterozygosity at 16q was studied in 44 prostate cancer patients exhibiting various clinical features. Fifteen polymorphic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) markers were used to identify t he separately deleted areas and the findings were compared with clinicopath ological variables and 5-year survival of the patients. The results indicat ed that there are at least three independently deleted regions at 16q. Alle lic losses at the central and distal areas were associated significantly wi th aggressive behaviour of the disease (16q24.1-q24.2, P < 0.01, and 16q24. 3-qter, P < 0.05), and the central area of deletion was further significant ly associated with poorly differentiated tumour cells (P < 0.05) and with r ecurrent (P < 0.01) growth of the tumour. During the follow-up period, 28% of the patients initially with MO disease developed distant metastases. Of the patients showing allelic loss at 16q24.1-q24.2, distant metastasis were found in 45% during the 5-year follow-up period, and 31% of the patients s howing loss at 16q21.1 also developed distant metastases. After the 5-year follow-up period, 14 (32%) of the patients remained alive, whereas 19 (43%) had died because of their prostate cancer. The overall survival rate of th e patients showing allelic loss at 16q21.1 or 16q24.1-q24.2 was significant ly lower than that of the patients with retained heterozygosity.