B. Tunca et al., The expression of fragile sites in lymphocytes of patients with rectum cancer and their first-degree relatives, CANCER LETT, 152(2), 2000, pp. 201-209
Fragile sites are non-staining gaps and breaks in specific points of chromo
somes. These sites also include acentric fragments, triradial figures and s
everal rearrangements. Although this issue has been controversial recently,
they may be related to structural chromosomal rearrangement in some neopla
sms. In this study, the expression of fragile sites induced by aphidicolin
(Apc), 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrJU) and caffeine was investigated on prometap
hase chromosomes obtained from the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 36 patie
nts with rectum cancer, 30 first-degree relatives and 30 normal healthy con
trols. The results of the structural chromosome aberrations determined in p
atients and their first-degree relatives were significantly higher than tho
se in control subjects (P < 0.001). We determined aphidicolin type common f
ragile sites (1p36, 1p31, 1p21, 1q21, 1q25, 1q44, 2p24, 2q21, 2q33, 2q37, 3
p14, 5q21, 5q33, 13q13, 14q24, 16q23 and 18q21). When the rates of sites su
ch as 1p21, 1q25, 2q33, 3p14, 5q21 and 14q24 in patients and in their first
-degree relatives were compared with the control group, the difference was
statistically significant. Our results indicated an increased genetic insta
bility in patients with rectum cancer and their first degree relatives. The
refore, the increase of fragile site expression may be an important marker
showing genetic predisposition to rectum cancer. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science
ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.