title: [Microsatellite alterations of circulating DNA in the plasma of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the features of microsatellite alterations of circulating DNA in the plasma of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and whether they are in concordance with those in the carcinoma tissues.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral blood samples were collected from 62 HCC patients and the corresponding tumor tissues were obtained during operation. Three high-polymorphic microsatellite markers located at chromosome 8p, D8S277, D8S298, and D8S1771, were selected to be used to detect the loss heterozygosity (LOH) and microsatellite instability (MSI) by PCR and sequencing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Joint detection showed that 39 out of the 62 tissue samples showed LOH at all the 3 loci, and the same alterations at the same loci were seen in 33 matched plasma samples with a concordance rate of 84.6%. Nineteen tissue samples showed MSI at all 3 loci, and the same alterations were shown in 14 matched plasma samples with a concordance rate of 73.3%. The rate of LOH for at least one locus in the plasma DNA was 58.1% (36/62), significantly higher than the rate of MSI at at least one locus in the plasma samples (29.0%, 18/62, P < 0.01). The MSI positive rate in the loci D8S277 of the plasma DNA was 22.6%, significantly higher than those of the other 2 loci (4.8% and 4.8% respectively, both P < 0.05). The MSI positive rate at the loci D8S277 of the cancer tissue was 46.8%, significantly higher than those of the other 2 loci (38.7% for D8S298 and 37.1% for D8S1771, both P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microsatellite alterations show a high concordant pattern between the tissue and plasma DNA in HCC, which indicates that the microsatellite alterations of tumor tissue are reflected by plasma DNA, LOH may play an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis whereas MSI may also contribute to this progress in a less significant way, and D8S277 is a sensitive locus to MSI in HCC.
authors.affiliation: Liver Institute and Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Jin-zhong
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Lun-xiu
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Qing-hai
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Wei-dong
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Yin-kun
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhao-you
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D002898:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8 / Q000235:genetics; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D053842:Microsatellite Instability; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm