Abstract

    AIM To investigate homozygous deletions of the multiple tumor suppressor gene 1 (MTS1/p 16) in human gastric adenocarcinoma.

    METHODS Using multiple PCR with primers for exon 2, we analyzed the homozygous deletions of 45 primary gastric adenocarcinomas and 17 adjacent normal tissues surgically resected.

    RESULTS The frequency of homozygous deletions of p 16 gene in tumor tissues was 13.3% (6/45), but none in matched adjacent normal tissues. The deletions of p16 gene occurred exclusively in cases with metastasis to either lymph node or adjacent organs, and incidence of deletion in TNM stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ was significantly higher than those in stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ ( 23.1% vs 0% respectively), (χ² = 5.0591, P< 0.05).

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