Comparative genomic hybridization(CGH)法による早期舌癌の細胞遺伝学的解析

The aim of this study was to detect the genomic deletions and amplifications in early tongue carcinomas. Genetic imbalances were assessed in twenty-six primary early tongue carcinomas using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). Early tongue carcinomas were consisted of 6 patients of stage I, and 20 patients of stage II. The median follow-up time for all patients was 25.5 months (range 9 to 42 months). Copy number increases were most frequently observed on chromosomes 19p (77%), 16p (65%), Iq (62%) and 5q (62%). Copy number decreases were occurred mostly frequently at 21p(35%) and 3p(31%). Gains of Iq was significantly higher in stage II patients than in stage I patients (17% vs. 75%, p<0.05). In comparison to eight patients with lymph node metastasis (stage I; 1 patient, stage II; 7 patients), it was noted that the gains of 3q was frequently observed in tumors metastatic lymph nodes in stage II patients (86 0n patient with metastasis vs. 31 0n without metastasis, p<0.05). These results showed that CGH detected chromosomal imbalances in early tongue carcinomas and gain of 3q may help to improve the therapeutic result defining lymph node matastasis of stage II patients of tongue carcinomas.