OBJECTIVETo search for characteristic chromosome changes in primary laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and Hep-2 cell line and to realize the relationship between the cytogenetic abnormality and the pathogenetic mechanism in LSCC.

METHODSThe fresh resulted samples of LSCC were analyzed with an improved primary cell culture for chromosome preparation and G-banding technique. Hep-2 cell line was analyzed by high resolution banding technique. Molecular cytogenetics analysis was made by chromosome 6 painting probe.

RESULTSFour primary LSCC succeeded in primary cell culture and obtained metaphases, one was tetraploid, the other three were triploid. The chromosome mode of Hep-2 cell line was from 68 to 75 and fifteen marker chromosomes were found. The most structural abnormalities of chromosome in primary LSCC and HEP-2 cell line were unbalance translocation, terminal deletion and isochromosome. The complicate aberration in chromosome 6 was common in LSCC and Hep-2.

CONCLUSION6q-, I(5p), 17p-, 5q- are considered as characteristic chomosome changs in LSCC. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) may enhance the ability of detecting complicated chromosome rearrangements and marker chromosomes, which could provide more value data to verify the chromosome characteristic aberration in LSCC.