[Loss of heterozygosity of plasma circulating DNA from hepatocellular carcinoma patients and its clinical significance].

Objectives: To detect the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of circulating DNA in the plasma of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to assess its potential as a clinical predictive marker.

Methods: Three high-polymorphic microsatellite markers D8S277, D8S298 and D8S1771 located at chromosome 8p were selected to detect LOH in plasma DNA of 62 HCC patients. The associations between LOH and its clinicopathological features, including HBsAg, liver cirrhosis, serum AFP level, tumor size, tumor cell differentiation, and intrahepatic metastasis were also examined.