title: Frequent microsatellite instability in epithelial borderline ovarian tumors.
abstract: To further define the genetic events that could lead to the development of borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs), we analyzed 13 microsatellite markers on chromosomes 3p and q in 18 BOTs and compared the results to 31 serous invasive epithelia] ovarian cancers (IEOCs). Five of the 18 BOTs showed microsatellite instability (MSI) at one or more loci, compared to only 2 of the 31 IEOCs studied (P < 0.04). In two of these five BOTs, MSI was found in multiple loci. All BOTs with MSI were serous, while none of the mucinous type showed any alteration. Loss of heterozygosity was found in only 1 of the 18 BOTs, but in 12 of the 31 IEOCs (P < 0.01). This first report of a relatively high percentage of MSI in BOTs opens a wide spectrum of new hypotheses for borderline ovarian tumorigenesis as well as several new research avenues.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tangir
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Loughridge
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Berkowitz
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Muto
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Mok
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002889:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2; D002893:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D017384:Sequence Deletion
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D005819:Genetic Markers