Relationship between loss of heterozygosity of deleted in colorectal carcinoma gene microsatellites and prognosis of colorectal adenocarcinoma.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To investigate the relationship between the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of microsatellites on the deleted in colorectal carcinoma (DCC) gene and prognosis of colorectal adenocarcinoma. METHODS: A retrospective study of 58 colorectal adenocarcinoma cases with follow-up data and paired control normal mucosal tissues from 1983 to 1985 from files from the West China University of Medical Sciences Department of Pathology was carried out by PCR microsatellite analysis. Sixteen, 35, and seven cases had well-, moderately, and poorly differentiated tumors, respectively; 11, 30, and 17 cases were staged as Dukes' A, B, and C, respectively. RESULTS: LOH of DCC microsatellites was detected in 18 cases (31.0%). The 5-year survival rate between LOH-positive and LOH-negative patients was 44.4% and 77.5%, respectively (P < 0.05). The results suggest that LOH of DCC microsatellites correlate with prognosis but not with differentiation (P > 0.05) and Dukes' stage (P > 0.05) in colorectal adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSION: LOH of DCC microsatellites may be a marker of malignancy. Combined with the traditional prognostic indicators, LOH can predict prognosis of colorectal adenocarcinoma.