title: The use of DNA fingerprinting to resolve conflicting results in patients with suspected gastrointestinal malignancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To underscore the utility of DNA fingerprinting for clarifying disparate results from endoscopic pathologic specimens.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Occasionally, serially obtained gastrointestinal biopsies may yield inconsistent results. These discrepancies pose a dilemma for gastroenterologists and their patients, especially when malignancy is a consideration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients referred to our tertiary care center from outside institutions had undergone endoscopically obtained esophageal biopsies showing malignancy, verified by pathologists at both our site and from the referring center. Repeat endoscopic biopsies at our center did not show malignancy. To verify that different sets of biopsies came from the same patient, we performed a polymerase chain reaction-based analysis comparing the 2 specimens. This analysis, called DNA fingerprinting, can show a high degree of certainty whether 2 specimens came from the same patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In each case, DNA fingerprinting verified a match, laying the groundwork for intervention. One patient underwent endoscopic radiofrequency ablation to the esophageal mucosa involved. Another underwent esophagectomy with partial gastrectomy. Both are doing well clinically and remain cancer-free on follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DNA fingerprinting is a powerful and a relatively inexpensive tool. Usually, only small amounts of tissue are required, and even degraded or archival tissue is adequate. DNA fingerprinting can be an important tool in the gastroenterologist's arsenal to help clarify conflicting results, allowing the patient and physician to move forward with the management.
authors: Division of Gastroenterology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, USA. sameer.islam.md@gmail.com
authors: Sameer
authors: S
authors: Islam
authors: Ethan D
authors: ED
authors: Miller
authors: Neal
authors: N
authors: Patel
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: De Petris
authors: Edward W
authors: EW
authors: Highsmith
authors: David E
authors: DE
authors: Fleischer
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting / Q000379:methods*; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000379:methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012017:Referral and Consultation