Putative gene loci associated with carcinogenesis and metastasis of endocervical adenocarcinomas of uterus determined by conventional and array-based CGH

Objectives This study aimed to estimate the gene loci associated with carcinogenesis of endocervical adenocarcinoma of uterus (EA) and metastasis. Study design Sixteen patients with EA were studied; 6 had nodal metastasis. DNA was extracted from EAs, and subjected to both conventional comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and array-based CGH. Copy number abnormalities were compared between cases with and without nodal metastasis. Results In all EAs, high frequencies of copy number losses were detected in genes LRP1B (on 2q21.2), DAB2 (5p13), and DCC (18q21.3), as well as regions 3p, 16q, and 22q, and copy number amplifications in genes NRAS (1p13.2), TOP2A (17q21-q22), NCOA3(AIB1) (20q12), and ARSA (22q tel). Nodal metastasis was associated with high frequencies of copy number loss in genes PGRMC2 and LAMA3 and amplification in CDK6 and NCOA3(AIB1). Conclusion This is the first report of gene copy number alterations spanning the whole genome in EA. These altered genes are speculated to be associated with EAs as a tumor suppressor and/or oncogene.