title: Similar patterns of loss of heterozygosity in serum of adenocarcinoma of the distal oesophagus and the cardia in early diagnosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) may be a valuable tool for detection of malignant proceedings. The aim of our study was to investigate LOH in the serum of patients with adenocarcinoma of the distal oesophagus and the cardia for diagnostic and prognostic utility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Matched tumour and serum samples from 46 surgically treated patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma and cardia carcinoma divided in two groups were analysed. Twelve markers were examined with a PCR-based microsatellite analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A similar high frequency of LOH (range from 77% to 96%) was detected in the tumour and serum of both groups, whereas no LOH was detected in 20 healthy individuals. However, no significant correlation between LOH incidence and clinicopathological characteristics and survival was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that DNA alterations in tumours of the oesophagus and cardia are uniform. The high frequency of LOH in tumour patients underlines the utility of this molecular approach as a diagnostic tool.
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. rwachowiak@gmx.de
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wachowiak
authors.forename: Jussuf T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Kaifi
authors.forename: Paulus G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Schurr
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merkert
authors.forename: Emre
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yekebas
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schwarzenbach
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Strate
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sauter
authors.forename: Jakob R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Izbicki
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002299:Cardia; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D008875:Middle Aged; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*