[Precise map of allelic loss on chromosome 3p14 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the precise allelic loss on chromosome 3p14 and discuss the possible relations between loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and EBV infection, clinical stage and clinic-pathology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: Six high dense microsatellite marker on chromosome 3p14 were selected to examine LOH in 32 cases of NPC. RESULTS: 23 of 32 (71.9%) tumors were deleted for at least one locus of six loci. High frequencies of LOH (> 40%) were observed at loci D3S1300(50.0%), D3S1313(46.4%) and D3S1312(44.4%). 12 cases showed LOH in one contiguous and nonrandom region. The smallest common deletion region seems likely to lie between D3S1313 and D3S1312. Relations between LOH on 3p14 and clinical stage and EBV infection were observed. The frequency of LOH was 70.0% in 30 cases of poor-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. 2 cases of vesicular nucleus cell carcinoma had LOH at two loci. CONCLUSION: The high deletion rate on 3p14 in NPC indicates that there might be a putative tumor suppressor gene related to the development and progression of NPC.