[Retinoblastoma gene in human esophageal cancer]

Retinoblastoma gene (Rb) is a tumor suppressor gene. In 21 esophageal cancer and 43 pericancerous non-tumor samples obtained from patients who had undergone surgery for esophageal cancer in Linxian County, a high incidence area of esophageal cancer, Rb gene was studied. DNAs were extracted from the above esophageal tissues, then were separately digested with Hind III, EcoRI, BamHI, PstI, MspI, HpaII and subjected to Southern analysis. The Southern blots were sequentially probed with two fragments of Rb cDAN clone: 0.9 kb and 3.8 kb. Of 43 adjacent non-tumor tissues examined, 15 were found to have structural anomaly (34.9%). Seven of 21 esophageal cancers also showed structural anomaly (33.3%). In order to study the cause of Rb gene deletion, esophageal carcinoma of human fetal origin induced by N-methyl-N-benzylnitrosamine (NMBzA) in nude mice were similarly examined and found to be deleted of Rb gene. Thus, deletional inactivation of Rb gene may play an important role in the pathogenesis of esophageal cancer in this high-risk area. N-nitrosamine may play a causative role in deletion of Rb gene. The above data for the first time demonstrate structural anomaly of Rb gene in esophageal cancer and confirm that chemical carcinogens, such as N-nitrosamines, can delete the antioncogene.