Gastric Cancer
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2004. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 15, 2004; 10(6): 800-803
Published online Mar 15, 2004. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i6.800
Mitochondrial microsatellite instability in gastric cancer and its precancerous lesions
Xian-Long Ling, Dian-Chun Fang, Rong-Quan Wang, Shi-Ming Yang, Li Fang
Xian-Long Ling, Dian-Chun Fang, Rong-Quan Wang, Shi-Ming Yang, Li Fang, Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30070043, and Scientific Research Project of Chinese PLA during the 10th Five-year plan period, No. 01Z075
Correspondence to: Dian-Chun Fang, M.D., Ph.D. Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. fangdianchun@hotmail.com
Telephone: +86-23-68754624 Fax: +86-23-68754124
Received: August 26, 2003
Revised: September 2, 2003
Accepted: September 18, 2003
Published online: March 15, 2004
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the role of mitochondrial microsatellite instability (mtMSI) in gastric carcinogenesis.

METHODS: MtMSI was measured with PCR-single strand conformation polymophism (PCR-SSCP) in 68 cases of advanced gastric cancer, 40 cases of chronic gastritis, 30 cases of intestinal metaplasia and 20 cases of dysplasia.

RESULTS: MtMSI was observed in 12.5% (5 of 40) of chronic gastritis, 20.0% (6 of 30) of intestinal metaplasia, 25.0% (5 of 20) of dysplasia and 38.2% (26 of 68) of gastric cancer. These findings showed a sequential accumulation of mtMSI in the histological progression from chonic gastritis to gastric cancer. An association of mtMSI with intestinal histological type and distal location was found (P = 0.001 and P = 0.002), whereas no significant correlation was found between mtMSI and age at diagnosis, sex, tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node spread and clinical stages (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: MtMSI may play an early and important role in the gastric carcinogenesis pathway, especially in the intestinal type and distal gastric cancer.

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