Nonrandom chromosomal aberrations and cytogenetic heterogeneity in gallbladder carcinomas

Chromosome banding analysis of 11 short-term cultured gallbladder carcinomas revealed acquired clonal aberrations in seven tumors (five primary and two metastases). Three of these had one clone, whereas the remaining four were cytogenetically heterogeneous, displaying two to seven aberrant clones. Of a total of 21 abnormal clones, 18 had highly complex karyotypes and three exhibited simple numerical deviations. Double minutes and homogeneously staining regions were observed in one and two carcinomas, respectively. To characterize the karyotypic profile of gallbladder cancer more precisely, we have combined the present findings with our three previously reported cases, thereby providing the largest cytogenetic database on this tumor type to date. A total of 287 chromosomal breakpoints were identified, 251 of which were found in the present study. Chromosome 7 was rearranged most frequently, followed by chromosomes 1, 3, 11, 6, 5, and 8. The bands preferentially involved were 1p32, 1p36, 1q32, 3p21, 6p21, 7p13, 7q11, 7q32, 19p13, 19q13, and 22q13. Nine recurrent abnormalities could, for the first time, be identified in gallbladder carcinoma: del(3)(p13), i(5)(p10), del(6)(q13), del(9)(p13), del(16)(q22), del(17)(p11), i(17)(q10), del(19)(p13), and i(21)(q10). The most common partial or whole-arm gains involved 3q, 5p, 7p, 7q, 8q, 11q, 13q, and 17q, and the most frequent partial or whole-arm losses affected 3p, 4q, 5q, 9p, 10p, 10q, 11p, 14p, 14q, 15p, 17p, 19p, 21p, 21q, and Xp. These chromosomal aberrations and imbalances provide some starting points for molecular analyses of genomic regions that may harbor genes of pathogenetic importance in gallbladder carcinogenesis. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 26:312–321, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.