Objective: To identify genetic abnormalities in primary gastric carcinoma.
Methods: Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) was used in screening DNA copy number changes along all chromosomes in 23 cases of primary gastric cancer.
Results: Twenty-one out of 23 cases showed chromosomal losses and gains for at least one of the chromosomal arms in primary gastric cancer. The mean number of chromosomal alterations was 7.52. Chromosomal gains predominated over chromosomal losses in a ratio of 5.38:2.14. The most often involved chromosomal gains were observed in 8q (9/21, 42.9%), 20q (9/21, 42.9%), 17q (8/21, 38.1%), 3q (7/21, 33.3%), 7q (7/21, 33.3%), 11q (6/21, 28.6%), 13q (6/21, 28.6%), 1q (5/21, 23.8%) and 20p (5/21, 23.8%). The chromosomal arms with frequent losses were 17p (7/21, 33.3%), 18q (6/21, 28.6%), 5q (5/21, 23.8%), 8p (5/21, 23.8%), and 9p (5/21, 23.8%).
Conclusions: The phenomenon of gain and loss of chromosomal regions is observed in primary gastric cancer, which may induce the amplification of oncogenes and the loss of tumor suppressor genes to regulate the development and progression of gastric cancer.