Korean J Urol.
2003 Feb;44(2):174-179.
Deletion of Y-Chromosome Specific Genes in Testicular Germ Cell Tumor
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Urology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea. ohbr@chonnam.ac.kr
- 2Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
- 3Department of Urology, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
Abstract
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PURPOSE: We hypothesized that the deletion of Y-chromosome specific genes is associated with testicular tumors. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the expressions of five Y-chromosome specific genes in testicular tumor samples.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Thirty-five human testicular tumor specimens were processed for the micro-dissection of pure epithelial cells. The DNA was extracted, and polymerase chain reactions performed using five different specific primers (ZFY, DYS203, SMCYM45, GDB187507 and RH38676). These primers were designed based on sequences available in the public genome data bank.
RESULTS
Deletion was observed in 88.6% of the testicular tumor specimens with at least one Y-chromosome specific gene. The losses of DYS203, ZFY, SMCYM45, RH38676 and GDB187507 were shown in 51.4, 42.9, 40, 28.6 and 20% of cases, respectively. There was a different pattern of loss of the Y-chromosome specific genes according to the histologic types of germ cell tumor. The losses of the DYS203 and GDB187507 genes were seen more frequently in the advanced stages.
CONCLUSIONS
There was a significant loss of the Y-chromosome specific genes in testicular germ cell tumors. The loss of the DYS203 gene was observed in about half the cases, and was more frequent in the higher stages of testicular tumor. The loss of Y-chromosome specific genes is associated with testicular tumors, suggesting their role in the pathogenesis of this disease.
