OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the loss of heterozygosity(LOH) at 14 microsatellites in esophageal cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

METHODSHPV-16,18 DNA was examined in 112 tumor specimens using fluorescence quantitative PCR. 112 tumor specimens and their matched blood DNAs were analyzed for LOH at 14 microsatellites by PCR and fluorescence-based DNA sequencing technology. The frequencies of LOH at 14 microsatellites were compared between HPV positive and negative specimens.

RESULTSHigh frequency of LOH was observed among chromosome arms 3p, 9p, 13q, 17p and 17q. The frequency of LOH was significantly higher at loci D13S260 and D6S497 in HPV positive specimens, comparing with HPV negative ones.

CONCLUSIONThe findings regarding loci with allele loss indicated that widespread chromosome instability might have existed in esophageal cancer. HPV positive specimens with higher frequency of LOH than negative ones at locus D13S260 and D6S497 suggesting that the target of HPV in esophageal cancer might serve as candidate genes at these two loci. In addition,this result also indicated that HPV might be a high-risk factor for esophageal cancer in Sichuan area with a high incidence of this cancer.