title: Microsatellite allelotyping of chinese nasopharyngeal carcinomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chinese nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) specimens were analyzed by microsatellite allelotyping to evaluate their usefulness as biomarkers for cancer detection.
  
  
  METHODS
  A panel of eight microsatellite markers localized to chromosomes 3p, 6p, 9p, I1q and 14q were used to study 47 specimens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A moderately low loss of heterozygosity (LOH) frequency (8% to 35%) was observed; 23 (49%) specimens showed LOH with at least one marker while microsatellite instability (MSI) was detected in 10 specimens (21%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poor survival was significantly associated with LOH detected by a chromosome 3 marker. Interestingly, tumors with multiple genetic alterations were significanty associated with earlier staging
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, People's Republic of China. bomaria@ust.hk
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Lung
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kwong
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sham
authors.forename: W I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D002877:Chromosomes, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D002880:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11 / Q000235:genetics; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14 / Q000235:genetics; D002893:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3 / Q000235:genetics; D002896:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 6 / Q000235:genetics; D002899:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis