Deletion of a DNA sequence at the chromosomal region 3p21 in all major types of lung cancer

• Published in: Nature (London) 1987-12, Vol.330 (6148), p.578-581
• Main Authors: KOK, K, OSINGA, J, POPPEMA, S, BUYS, C. H. C. M, CARRITT, B, DAVIS, M. B, VAN DER HOUT, A. H, VAN DER VEEN, A. Y, LANDSVATER, R. M, DE LEIJ, L. F. M. H, BERENDSEN, H. H, POSTMUS, P. E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alleles; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Small Cell - genetics; Cell Line; Chromosome Deletion; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3; Humans; Lung Neoplasms - genetics; Lymphocytes - cytology; Medical sciences; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Pneumology; Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/330578a0

In childhood malignancies such as retinoblastoma and Wilms tumour, of which both familial and sporadic forms exist, recessive mutations of presumed differentiation genes have been implicated in tumorigenesis. A proportion of cases appear with microscopically visible chromosome deletions which indicate the regions where the genes concerned are located. Mutation or loss of one allele causes a cancer predisposition. For tumour development functional loss of the remaining normal allele is also required. In cancers with both familial and sporadic forms, molecular-genetic studies have shown that deletion is often one of the mutational events. Although familial and sporadic forms have never been distinguished in lung cancer, deletions of the short arm of chromosome 3 have been described for small cell lung cancer (SCLC), but their general occurrence in SCLC has been disputed. Using a molecular-genetic approach, we here present evidence for a consistent deletion at the chromosomal region 3p21, not only in SCLC, but in all major types of lung cancer.