ALLELOTYPE OF UTERINE-CANCER BY ANALYSIS OF RFLP AND MICROSATELLITE POLYMORPHISMS - FREQUENT LOSS OF HETEROZYGOSITY ON CHROMOSOME ARMS 3P, 9Q, 10Q, AND 17P

Cancers in which mutations have been identified in putative tumor supp ressor genes, such as the TP53 gene, the retinoblastoma (RBI) gene, th e adenomatous polyposis coil (APC) gene, and the Wilms tumor (WTI) gen e, frequently show loss of the corresponding allele on the homologous chromosome. To identify locations of tumor suppressor genes involved i n uterine cancer, we examined loss of heterozygosity (LOH) by using ge nomic probes detecting RFLPs in 35 uterine cancers at 29 loci througho ut the genome, and with highly informative microsatellite markers in 2 1 uterine cancers at nine putative or known tumor suppressor gene loci . High frequencies of allelic loss found at loci on 3p (71%), 9q (38%) , 10q (35%), and 17p (35%) suggest that tumor suppressor genes involve d in uterine carcinogenesis exist in these regions. There were no sign ificant differences in frequencies of LOH between cancers of the uteri ne cervix and cancers of the uterine endometrium at any of the loci te sted. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.