Allelic deletion at chromosome 9p21(p16) and 17p13(p53) in microdissected sporadic dysplastic nevus

• Published in: Human pathology 1998-02, Vol.29 (2), p.127-130
• Main Authors: Park, Won-Sang, Vortmeyer, Alexander O, Pack, Svetlana, Duray, Paul H, Boni, Roland, Guerami, Amir Ali, Emmert-Buck, Michael R, Liotta, Lance A, Zhuang, Zhengping
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Alleles; Biological and medical sciences; chromosome 17; chromosome 9; Chromosome Deletion; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 - genetics; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 - genetics; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 - genetics; Dermatology; Dissection - methods; DNA - analysis; dysplastic nevus; Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome - genetics; Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome - pathology; Female; Humans; loss of heterozygosity; Loss of Heterozygosity - genetics; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nevus, Intradermal - genetics; Nevus, Intradermal - pathology; PCR; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - genetics; Tumors of the skin and soft tissue. Premalignant lesions
• ISSN: 0046-8177; 1532-8392
• DOI: 10.1016/S0046-8177(98)90221-0

A critical area of chromosomal loss at region pl6(9p21–22) and p53(17pl3) has been implicated in the genesis of malignant melanoma. It is still unclear whether the genetic alterations can be detected in dysplastic nevus, a premalignant lesion of malignant melanoma. We have searched the frequency of p16 and p53 deletion in nine dysplastic nevi and 13 benign intradermal nevi with five microsatellite markers. Hemizygous deletion was detected in seven of nine (78%) dysplastic nevi at one or more loci for p16 and three of seven (43%) for p53, respectively. No loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was detected in any of the benign intradermal nevi. All three dysplastic nevi with LOH for p53 also showed LOH at p16. However, not all dysplastic nevi showing p16 deletion showed p53 gene deletion. Therefore, these data suggest that deletion of p16 may play an important role in the development of dysplastic nevus as an early event and that the changes may represent an early event in the development of malignant melanoma.