Loss of heterozygosity for alleles on chromosome II in cervical carcinoma

The HeLa cell (a cervical carcinoma cell line) tumor-suppressor gene has been localized to the long arm of chromosome 11 by molecular genetic studies of nontumorigenic and tumorigenic hybrids derived from normal chromosome 11 x HeLa cell fusions. In the present study, 33 primary cervical carcinoma samples were analyzed using chromosome 11-specific polymorphic DNA markers. The RFLP analysis indicated a somatic loss of chromosome 11 heterozygosity in 10 (30%) of the primary tumors. Preferential loss of the long arm of the chromosome was observed in two of the primary tumors. In addition, at least eight-fold amplification of sequences in the q13 region, including those coding for the fibroblast growth factor-related gene (int-2), was observed in one of the primary tumors. These results suggest a possible role for gene(s) localized to chromosome 11, possibly that localized to the long arm in the development and/or progression of cervical carcinomas.