Akira Ishihara

Comparative genomic hybridization analysis of chromosomal aberration associated with hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Chromosomal aberrations associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were previously characterized by focusing on changes in particular known genes at the assigned loci, but not those in unidentified genes affected at other loci in whole metaphase chromosomes. In the present study, we examined an overview of DNA sequence copy number changes associated with 22 hepatitis C virus (HCV) related HCC by using the comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) technique. The incidences of regional gains in chromosome detected among 22 HCC were 1q (27%), 2q (23%), 7q (23%), 8q (50%), and 17q (23%), and losses were 1p (27%), 4q (45%), 5q (23%), 6q (23%), 13q (32%), 16p (18%), 16q (27%), 17p (18%), and 22q (27%). Higher incidences of chromosomal gains and losses were observed in less differentiated advanced carcinomas. Among these findings, regional gains of chromosomes 2q had not been previously reported for HCV-related HCC. It is also noted that the regional gains of 2q and regional losses of 5q, 6q and 17p were detected in relatively less differentiated carcinoma, suggesting that aberrations associated with these loci occurred in later stages of progression pathways of HCV-related HCC.