Different pattern of loss of heterozygosity among endocervical-type adenocarcinoma, endometrioid-type adenocarcinoma and adenoma malignum of the uterine cervix.

It is unclear which chromosome arms frequently show loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix. To identify such chromosomal arms, LOH on 52 different chromosome loci was examined using laser capture microdissection and PCR-LOH analysis in 25 common-type adenocarcinomas, comprising 13 cases of endocervical type, 12 cases of endometrioid type and 7 cases of adenoma malignum without the component of conventional endocervical-type adenocarcinoma (designated as "pure" form). In adenocarcinomas of endocervical type and endometrioid type, LOH was commonly detected on chromosome arms 17p (62% and 50%, respectively), 1p (33% and 67%) and 22q (40% and 33%). In addition, endocervical-type adenocarcinoma frequently (> or = 30%) showed LOH on 18p (71%), 19q (50%), 19p (38%) and 16q (38%), whereas endometrioid-type adenocarcinoma frequently showed LOH on 10q (43%) and 5q (40%). LOH was only sporadically detected on 9q, 18q, or 21q in 3 of 7 cases of "pure" adenoma malignum. In a case of coexistence of "pure" adenoma malignum and adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), LOH on 1q, 5p, 11p, 17p, 18p and 18q was detected only in AIS. LOH was accumulated on a number of chromosome arms in the adenocarcinoma at the early developmental stage before stromal invasion. Chromosomal arms that are prone to show LOH appeared to differ between the 2 types of cervical adenocarcinoma. We could suggest that "pure" adenoma malignum is of clonal and neoplastic nature in view of the detection of LOH. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.