title: Mitochondrial microsatellite instability in gastric cancer and its precancerous lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of mitochondrial microsatellite instability (mtMSI) in gastric carcinogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  MtMSI was measured with PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) in 68 cases of advanced gastric cancer, 40 cases of chronic gastritis, 30 cases of intestinal metaplasia and 20 cases of dysplasia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MtMSI was observed in 12.5% (5 of 40) of chronic gastritis, 20.0% (6 of 30) of intestinal metaplasia, 25.0% (5 of 20) of dysplasia and 38.2% (26 of 68) of gastric cancer. These findings showed a sequential accumulation of mtMSI in the histological progression from chronic gastritis to gastric cancer. An association of mtMSI with intestinal histological type and distal location was found (P=0.001 and P=0.002), whereas no significant correlation was found between mtMSI and age at diagnosis, sex, tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node spread and clinical stages (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MtMSI may play an early and important role in the gastric carcinogenesis pathway, especially in the intestinal type and distal gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Xian-Long
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Dian-Chun
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Rong-Quan
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shi-Ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008679:Metaplasia; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008928:Mitochondria; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000235:genetics*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*