Allelotype of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma

Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (PAC) is a rare pancreatic tumor for which no information about chromosomal and gene anomalies is available. We perfo rmed genome-wide allelotyping of 9 PACs using DNA from 5 frozen and 4 paraf fin-embedded samples and 76 PCR-amplified, chromosome-specific microsatelli te markers. High degrees of allelic loss were found, with a mean fractional allelic loss of 0.33, Chromosomes 1p, 4q and 17p showed loss of heterozygo sity in >70% of cases and chromosomes 11q, 13q, 15q and 16q, in 60% to 70% of cases. Chromosomes 3q, 6q, 8q, 18q and 21q showed loss in 50% to 60% of cases. All of the remaining chromosomes showed no or few allelic losses. Th e resulting allelotype of PAC is markedly different from that of either duc tal or endocrine tumors of the pancreas, and the involvement of chromosomes 4q and 16q appears to be characteristic of this tumor type. High-resolutio n mapping of the 12 frequently altered chromosomes in 5 cases with 222 mark ers permitted subchromosomal localization of regions of consensus loss on 5 chromosomes, including 1p36.31, 3p25.2, 4q26-31.1, 15q15-22.1 and 16q21-q2 2.1. Our findings suggest that PAC tumorigenesis involves molecular pathway s different from those occurring in more common pancreatic tumor types. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.