PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Chan, Andrew Siu Chung
AU  - To, Ka Fai
AU  - Lo, Kwok Wai
AU  - Mak, Ko Fung
AU  - Pak, Wai
AU  - Chiu, Brian
AU  - Tse, Gary M. K.
AU  - Ding, Min
AU  - Li, Xianghong
AU  - Lee, Joseph Chuen Kwun
AU  - Huang, Dolly Poon
TI  - High Frequency of Chromosome 3p Deletion in Histologically Normal Nasopharyngeal Epithelia from Southern Chinese
DP  - 2000 Oct 01
TA  - Cancer Research
PG  - 5365--5370
VI  - 60
IP  - 19
4099  - http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/60/19/5365.short
4100  - http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/60/19/5365.full
SO  - Cancer Res2000 Oct 01; 60
AB  - We have examined the presence of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosome 3p in histologically normal nasopharyngeal epithelia (NP), dysplastic lesions, and carcinoma of the nasopharynx from different ethnic and geographic regions. Microdissected normal NP from noncancerous individuals and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) samples from both the high-risk group (southern Chinese in Hong Kong) and two low-risk groups for NPC (central/northern Chinese in Anhui/Beijing and Caucasians in Toronto) were included. All NPC samples showed high incidence of 3p deletion –100%). High frequencies of LOH on 3p were also detected in normal NP (73.9%) and dysplastic lesions (75%) from the southern Chinese. Significant lower frequency of LOH on 3p was noted in normal NP from the low-risk groups (20%) than those from high-risk groups (P = 0.0003). The presence of such genetic alterations in the histologically normal NP and dysplastic lesions suggests that it is an early event in tumor development. The higher frequency of 3p LOH found in normal NP from southern Chinese compared with those from low-risk groups may be related to the distinct cancer incidence among these populations. ©2000 American Association for Cancer Research.