Examination of oncogene amplification by genomic DNA microarray in hepatocellular carcinomas: comparison with comparative genomic hybridization analysis

To identify amplified oncogenes involved in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) , we applied a genomic DNA microarray spotted with 57 oncogenes to 20 HCCs. Aberrations in DNA copy number also were analyzed by comparative genomic h ybridization (CGH) using an aliquot of DNA samples. In 5 of 20 HCCs, only 6 oncogenes (CCND1, FGF3/FGF4, SAS/CDK4, TERC, MET, and MYC) were amplified, whereas in the remaining 15 tumors no oncogenes were amplified. A comparis on of DNA microarray and conventional CGH analyses showed that, although 5 of 6 amplified oncogenes shown by microarray were located in chromosomal re gions shown by CGH to have increased DNA copy numbers, not all genes locate d in such chromosomal regions were affected. One of the amplified oncogenes (SAS/CDK4) was found in a chromosomal region that was undetected by CGH. W e, therefore, conclude that amplification of the oncogenes examined in this series is not directly implicated in hepatocellular carcinogenesis. (C) 20 01 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.