REGENERATIVE LESIONS IN ULCERATIVE-COLITIS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY MICROSATELLITE MUTATION

An increased risk of colon cancer has been observed in individuals wit h long-standing ulcerative colitis (UC). In order to identify molecula r genetic markers for the development of neoplasia in UC individuals, we isolated DNA from normal, regenerative, and dysplastic mucosa, as w ell as from colon carcinomas from UC patients, and evaluated it for th e presence of mutations in microsatellite DNA sequences. DNAs isolated from regenerative mucosa displayed microsatellite mutation. These obs ervations suggest that DNA mutation is an early event in the UC diseas e process. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.