title: Clinicopathological significance of loss of heterozygosity and microsatellite instability in hepatocellular carcinoma in China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the features of microsatellite alterations and their association with clinicopathological characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and microsatellite instability (MSI) of 55 microsatellite loci were detected with PCR-based microsatellite polymorphism analyses in tumors and corresponding noncancerous liver tissues of 56 surgically resected HCCs using the MegaBACE 500 automatic DNA analysis system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LOH was found in 44 of 56 HCCs (78.6%) at one or several loci. Frequencies of LOH on 1p, 4q, 8p, 16q, and 17p were 69.6% (39/56), 71.4% (40/56), 66.1% (37/56), 66.1% (37/56), and 64.3% (36/56), respectively. MSI was found in 18 of 56 HCCs (32.1%) at one or several loci. Ten of fifty-six (17.9%) HCCs had MSI-H. Serum HBV infection, alpha-fetoprotein concentration, tumor size, cirrhosis, histological grade, tumor capsule, as well as tumor intrahepatic metastasis, might be correlated with LOH on certain chromosome regions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frequent microsatellite alterations exist in HCC. LOH, which represents a tumor suppressor gene pathway, plays a more important role in hepatocarcinogenesis. MSI, which represents a mismatch repair gene pathway, is a rare event during liver carcinogenesis. Furthermore, LOH on certain chromosome regions may be correlated with clinicopathological characteristics in HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China. zhangshuhui100@sohu.com
authors.forename: Shu-Hui
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wen-Ming
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.forename: Zhi-Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Xian
authors.forename: Meng-Chao
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008875:Middle Aged