title: Frequent losses of heterozygosity in the mitofusin 2 gene in hepatocellular carcinoma: their relationship to clinicopathological features.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to determine the features of loss of heterozygosity in the mitofusin 2 gene and their association with clinicopathological characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Loss of heterozygosity of four microsatellite loci were detected in tumors and their adjacent normal tissues of 29 surgically resected hepatocellular carcinomas using an ABI3130xl automated sequencer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed the incidences of loss of heterozygosity on microsatellite loci D1S2667, D1S2740, D1S434, and D1S228 were 21%, 23%, 21%, and 22%, respectively. Loss of heterozygosity in the mitofusin 2 gene was closely correlated with age, degree of differentiation, capsule integrity, and tumor size (P <0.05) but was not correlated with gender, thrombosis, liver cirrhosis, or alpha-fetoprotein levels (P >0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frequent loss of heterozygosity in the mitofusin 2 gene exists in hepatocellular carcinoma. Loss of heterozygosity, which represents a tumor suppressor gene pathway, may play a critical role in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Qu
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Chen
authors: Guoliang
authors: G
authors: Wang
authors: Jianfeng
authors: J
authors: Wei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008875:Middle Aged; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases; C470018:MFN2 protein, human