Loss of heterozygosity at chromosomes 8p, 9p, and 14q is associated with stage and grade of non-papillary renal cell carcinomas.

In this study, 105 non-papillary renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) have been examined for allelic loss at the chromosome 8p12-21.1, 9p21, and 14q24.2-qter regions, each by two highly polymorphic microsatellites. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was detected at both chromosome 8p and 9p in 33 per cent of the cases and at chromosome 14q in 45 per cent of the tumours. A correlation of variables such as size, grade, and stage of tumours with these specific genetic alterations showed that loss of chromosomes 8p and 9p, and especially loss of chromosome 14q regions, is significantly associated with a higher grade of tumour and the combined LOH at these chromosomal sites with advanced tumour stage. These genetic alterations did not show any correlation with the size of non-papillary RCCs. This study suggests that genetic markers at the above-mentioned chromosomal sites can predict the clinical outcome of non-papillary RCCs.