Loss of heterozygosity in neuroblastomas--an overview

Although previous studies have demonstrated a relatively high incidence of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosomes 1p, 11q and 14q in neuroblastoma, it is unclear whether LOH occurs specifically on these chromosomes or not. It might be due to the lack of allelotyping of neuroblastoma. When we assessed all 22 autosomes and chromosome X for LOH in 81 cases of neuroblastoma using 43 polymorphic DNA markers, a high incidence of LOH (> 30%) was observed on three chromosomal arms, 2q (30%), 9p (36%) and 18q (31%). Moreover, 9p LOH in the tumours showed statistically significant association with advanced stage of the disease and poor prognosis. Therefore, tumour suppressor genes on chromosomes 2q, 9p and 18q could be involved in the genesis and/or progression of neuroblastoma. Particularly, the gene on chromosome 9p may be associated with progression of neuroblastoma.