Study of allelic losses on 3p, 6q, and 17p in human urothelial cancer

Forty-eight transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder and three transitio nal cell carcinomas of the renal pelvis were examined for loss of heterozyg osity (LOH) on chromosomes 3p, 6q, and 17p. The most frequent allelic loss was seen on 17p (18/36, 50%) followed by 6q (6/22, 27%), and 3p (5/22, 23%) . In cases with LOH at more than one locus, the same DNA sample often varie d in degree of signal reduction for missing alleles. This observation indic ates that LOH studies can serve to detect intratumor heterogeneity. No corr elation w as found between allelic losses at these chromosome arms and tumo r grade and stage. Allelic losses on 6q were associated with tumors having a solid growth pattern; in this kind of tumors, allelic losses on 3p were a ssociated with invasion. (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 1999. All rights reserv ed.