Y chromosome loss in esophageal carcinoma: an in situ hybridization study.
Carcinoma of the esophagus shows a strong male predominance and other epidemiologic differences from cancers arising at other sites. In this study, the prevalence of Y chromosome loss in 29 carcinomas of the esophagus and 53 carcinomas arising elsewhere in the aerodigestive tract was assessed by in situ hybridization of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Absence of the Y chromosome was defined as (1) negative staining for Y in neoplastic cells with positive staining for Y in immediately adjacent nonneoplastic epithelial and stromal cells, (2) positive staining of neoplastic cells with control probes for chromosomes X and 17, and (3) similar results at different stringencies and levels of protein digestion. According to these criteria, absence of the Y chromosome was observed in 13 of 14 (93%) adenocarcinomas of the esophagus, 8 of 13 (62%) squamous cell carcinomas of the esophagus, and 5 of 53 (9%) carcinomas arising in other sites. For the neoplasms examined, Y chromosome deletion was strongly and selectively associated with carcinomas, particularly adenocarcinomas, of the esophagus (P < .0001). These findings suggest that Y chromosome loss may be pathogenetically significant in these neoplasms.
Hunter
S
S
Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
Gramlich
T
T
Abbott
K
K
Varma
V
V
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics*; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D015342:DNA Probes; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009006:Monosomy; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D014998:Y Chromosome
D015342:DNA Probes