Nonrandom chromosomal aberrations and cytogenetic heterogeneity in gallbladder carcinomas

Chromosome banding analysis of I I short-term cultured gallbladder carcinom as revealed acquired clonal aberrations in seven tumors (five primary and t wo metastases). Three of these had one clone, whereas the remaining four we re cytogenetically heterogeneous, displaying two to seven aberrant clones. Of a total of 21 abnormal clones, is had highly complex karyotypes and thre e exhibited simple numerical deviations. Double minutes and homogeneously s taining regions were observed in one and two carcinomas, respectively. To c haracterize the karyotypic profile of gallbladder cancer more precisely, we have combined the present findings with our three previously reported case s, thereby providing the largest cytogenetic database on this tumor type to date. A total of 287 chromosomal breakpoints were identified, 251 of which were found in the present. study. Chromosome 7 was rearranged most frequen tly, followed by chromosomes 1, 3, 11, 6, 5, and 8. The bands preferentiall y involved were 1p32, 1p36, 1q32, 3p21, 6p21, 7p13, 7q11, 7q32, 19p13, 19q1 3, and 22q13. Nine recurrent abnormalities could, for the first time, be id entified in gallbladder carcinoma: del(3)(p13), j(5)(p10), del(6)(q13), del (9)(p13), del(16)(q22), del(17)(p11), i(17)(q10), del(19)(p13), and i(21)(q 10). The most common partial or whole-arm gains involved 3q, 5p, 7p, 7q, 8q , I Iq, 13q, and 17q, and the most frequent partial or whole-arm losses aff ected 3p, 4q, 5q, 9p, 10p, 10q, I Ip, 14p, I 4q, 15p, 17p, 19p, 21p, 21q, a nd Xp. These chromosomal aberrations and imbalances provide some starting p oints for molecular analyses of genomic regions that may harbor genes of pa thogenetic importance in gallbladder carcinogenesis. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, I nc.