[Study on molecular pathology in non-small cell lung cancer in Shanghai].
BACKGROUND
To investigate the molecular pathogenesis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Shanghai.


METHODS
About 200 patients with NSCLC from Shanghai urban residents entered in this study. Oncogenes (C-myc, C-erbB2 and EGFR), tumor suppressor genes (p53 and p15) and some chromosomes instability (3p14, 3p25 and 17p13.3) were determined respectively by DNA slot blot, PCR, PCR-SSCP, and DNA sequences.


RESULTS
The rate of co-amplification of oncogenes from 174 cases of NSCLC was significantly higher in stage III(50.6%, 40/79) and II (31.1%, 14/45) than that in stage I (16%, 8/50). Total rate of mutations in p53 gene exons was 49.2%(31/63), while the rate of exon 8 point mutation was the highest. The rate of loss of homozygosity of p15 gene was higher in stage III (61.4%, 43/70) than that in stage I (34.6%, 18/52) (P<0.05). 40%(8/20) of loss of heterozygosity at 17p13.3 and 66.7%(108/162) at 3p14 or 3p25 were observed. The rate of co-deletion on 3p14 and 3p25 of adenocarcinoma was higher than that of squamous cell carcinoma.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the features of molecular pathogenesis in this series include: (a) 3p deletion in precancerous lesion; (b) p53 mutation and 17p13.3 deletion in carcinoma in situ; (c) amplification of oncogenes for C-myc, c-erbB2, EGFR and deletion of p15 gene in invasion and metastasis carcinoma of the lung.
Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, P.R.China.
K
K
Xu
M
M
Liao
J
J
Ding