title: Study of microsatellite instability in epithelial ovarian tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the frequency of MSI in epithelial ovarian tumors and its relationship with clinicopathologic features.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety fresh specimens of epithelial ovarian tumors, including 74 primary and 16 secondary tumors, were collected. Microsatellite analysis was carried out using 5 mono-and dinucleotide markers from the National Cancer Institute Consensus Panel by fluorescence-labeled polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 90 epithelial ovarian tumors analyzed, 18 demonstrated a high level of microsatellite instability (MSI-H), 30 demonstrated a low level of microsatellite instability (MSI-L), and the remaining 42 exhibited microsatellite stability (MSS). Frequency of microsatellite instability (MSI) at loci BAT-25 was higher than that at any other loci. No correlation was found between MSI level and patient age, tumor type, tumor differentiation (P>0.05). But the microsatellite instability-high phenotype correlates with clinical stage. It tended to occur more frequently in early-stage tumors (P=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequent MSI in epithelial ovarian tumors suggests that it is an early event to involve in the development of epithelial ovarian tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, The Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Xi-shi
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yue-xiang
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hou-yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Nanbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053842:Microsatellite Instability; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*