Loss of heterozygosity on the short arm of chromosome 3 in renal cancer

3% of human cancers are renal cell carcinomas (RCC). The most common chromo some abnormality found in this tumor is loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on the short arm of chromosome 3, which suggests that there must be one or more t umor suppressor genes between 3p14 and 3p21 near the VHL gene which play a relevant role in renal cancer development. DNA from normal and tumor tissue from 40 patients at various stages of RCC was analyzed for LOH at three mi crosatellites mapped to 3p (3p14.1-14.3; 3p21.2-21.3 and 3p25) by polymeras e chain reaction). 42.5% of the tumors studied showed LOH on at least one l ocus. 30% showed LOH on only one locus; 5% on two loci and 7.5% on the thre e loci tested. LOH occurred only on nonpapillary tumors (p = 0.03). Interes tingly, all the tumors with LOH on 3p21 were greater than or equal to 25 mm (p = 0.04; relative risk 1.76, confidence interval: 1.3-2.3). Copyright (C ) 2000 S. Karger AG. Basel.