[Loss of heterozygosity of plasma circulating DNA from hepatocellular carcinoma patients and its clinical significance].
OBJECTIVE
To detect the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of circulating DNA in the plasma of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to assess its potential as a clinical predictive marker.


METHODS
Three high-polymorphic microsatellite markers D8S277, D8S298 and D8S1771 located at chromosome 8p were selected to detect LOH in plasma DNA of 62 HCC patients. The associations between LOH and its clinicopathological features, including HBsAg, liver cirrhosis, serum AFP level, tumor size, tumor cell differentiation, and intrahepatic metastasis were also examined.


RESULTS
In plasma DNA of the 62 HCC patients, LOH was found at one or several loci in 36 (58.1%), and heterozygosity at D8S277, D8S298, and D8S1771 loci was 74.2% (46/62), 75.8% (47/62), and 69.4% (43/62), respectively. LOH frequency at D8S277, D8S298 and D8S1771 was 32.6% (15/46), 44.7% (21/47), and 46.5% (20/43), respectively. LOH in plasma DNA was more frequently detected in the patients with intrahepatic cancer metastasis than those without metastasis (62.5 percent vs. 26.1 percent, P < 0.05); however, no statistically significant correlations were observed between LOH at these loci and other clinicopathological features analyzed in this study.


CONCLUSIONS
LOH at D8S298 in plasma DNA may be a potential predictive marker of intrahepatic metastatic recurrence after surgical resection of the HCC.
Pang
Jin-Zhong
JZ
Department of General Surgery, First People's Hospital of Qingdao Economic and Technical Development Zone, Qingdao, China.
Qin
Lun-Xiu
LX
Wang
Qiang-Qing
QQ
Ren
Ning
N
Sun
Bing-Sheng
BS
Lin
Guo-Ling
GL
Ye
Qing-Hai
QH
Liu
Yin-Kun
YK
Tang
Zhao-You
ZY
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D002898:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D004247:DNA