Detecting bladder cancer in the Chinese by microsatellite analysis: Ethnicand etiologic considerations

Background: Microsatellite analysis of urine sediments has shown promise as a highly sensitive and specific technique for the detection of bladder can cer, However, most studies have been conducted in Western countries with Ca ucasian subjects. We explored the potential of microsatellite analysis for detecting bladder cancer in Chinese people. Methods: We performed microsate llite analysis of surgical specimens and urine sediment cells collected fro m Chinese patients with bladder tumors. Those microsatellite markers giving clearly readable patterns and showing susceptibility to alterations were u sed as a panel to detect primary tumors. A blinded study of additional pati ents with bladder cancer was performed to investigate the practical value o f this panel for detecting bladder cancer. All statistical tests were two-s ided. Results: Thirty-eight bladder tumors and corresponding urine sediment specimens were initially screened for 60 microsatellite markers from 18 ch romosomes. Nine markers, most of which were different from those that had b een used for Western patients, with frequent alterations in the initial pat ients were selected for further analysis, In the subsequent blinded experim ent, microsatellite alterations were observed in urine sediments from 22 (9 6%) of 23 patients with bladder cancer and from all three patients with inv erted papilloma, None of the urine sediments from the one patient with blad der lipoma, from the one patient with neurofibroma, or from the 12 individu als without evidence of bladder tumor showed any microsatellite alterations . Conclusions: Microsatellite analysis of urine sediments could be a practi cal method for detecting bladder cancer in the Chinese. Our identification of different microsatellite markers highlights possible ethnic and etiologi c disparities between the Chinese and Western bladder cancer patients.