Potential use of loss of heterozygosity in pleural effusions of breast cancer metastases using the microsatellite marker of the 16q22.1 region of the CDH1 gene.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the presence of allelic loss in 16q22.1, including the locus of E-cadherin, in pleural effusions in breast cancer patients.


METHODS
Molecular analysis of DNA was performed using a DNA extraction kit (NucleoSpin, Macherey-Nagel, Germany). Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in primary tumors and pleural effusions was analyzed using a microsatellite marker of the CDH1 gene, D16S265, described in previous studies. LOH was evaluated by radioactive polymerase chain reaction assay in 17 samples of pleural effusions and breast tissues (primary tumors and nonneoplastic adjacent tissue) from breast cancer patients: 7 positive for neoplastic cells, 6 suspected and 4 cases without evidence of neoplastic cells in the effusions.


RESULTS
Thirteen cases (76%) were informative. LOH was detected in 5 cases (38.5%). In 3 of them LOH was detected only in the cytologic sample, and in 2 of them LOH was detected in the primary tumor and cytologic sample.


CONCLUSIONS
Results show that LOH in the CDH1 gene can identify tumor cells in pleural effusions when morphologic analysis is difficult.
Granja
Nara de Matos
Nde M
Institute of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal.
Ricardo
Sara Alexandra Vinhas
SA
Longatto Filho
Adhemar
A
Alves
Venancio Avancini Ferreira
VA
Bedrossian
Carlos W M
CW
Wiley
Elizabeth L
EL
Schmitt
Fernando C
FC
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics*; D002885:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16 / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000175:diagnosis*
D015820:Cadherins