Frequency of chromosome 17 aneuploidy in primary and recurrent pterygium by interphase-fluorescence in situ hybridization.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate chromosome 17 numerical aberrations by using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in pterygia and to find out whether there is any association between chromosome 17 aneuploidy and recurrent pterygia.


METHODS
Pterygium tissue samples were taken from 21 patients by surgical excision. Eighteen of them had primary and 3 had recurrent pterygium. Peripheral whole blood interphase cells obtained from 11 healthy subjects were assigned as control group. The cells from pterygium tissue and peripheral blood were incubated with a hypotonic solution and fixed in order to obtain interphase nuclei. FISH analysis with chromosome-17-specific alpha-satellite DNA probe was performed on both the interphase nuclei of pterygium tissue (of patients) and peripheral whole blood cells of controls.


RESULTS
The mean percentage of chromosome 17 aneuploidy was 4.71% for the pterygia group and 4.41% for the controls. No significant difference of chromosome 17 aneuploidy was observed between the patients and the controls. When the group of patients with recurrences was compared with the group without recurrences, there was a significant difference in the frequency of chromosome 17 aneuploidy (U = 17, p = 0.029).


CONCLUSIONS
Chromosome 17 aneuploidy is probably not an important factor in the formation of pterygium, but it may be related to recurrence.
Kamis
Umit
U
Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey. umitkamis@hotmail.com
Kerimoglu
Hurkan
H
Ozkagnici
Ahmet
A
Acar
Hasan
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000782:Aneuploidy; D002886:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011625:Pterygium / Q000235:genetics*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D004247:DNA