Analysis of loss of heterozygosity in 399 premalignant breast lesions at 15 genetic loci.

Background: Usual ductal hyperplasia (UDH), atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are risk factors for invasive breast cancer (IBC), suggesting that these lesions may be direct precursors of IBC. To identify genetic changes that may be important in the early development of precursor lesions and their progression to malignant or invasive disease, we examined 399 putative precursors (211 UDH, 51 ADH, 81 non-comedo DCIS, and 56 comedo DCIS) for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 15 polymorphic genetic loci known to exhibit high rates of loss in IBC. We also assessed the sharing of LOH by putative precursors and synchronous cancers.

p53 mutations in gastric and colorectal cancers in Texas Hispanics versus Anglos.

Gastric cancer is more than twice as common in Hispanics as in Anglos in Texas, while colorectal cancer is almost twice as common in Anglos as Hispanics. To test the hypothesis that mutations in the p53 tumour suppressor gene are involved in these differences, we examined 131 gastric and 138 colorectal cancers from Hispanic and Anglo patients from South Texas and Mexico using immunohistochemistry (IHC) as a screening assay for p53 mutations. The fraction of p53 positive cases was not significantly different in gastric cancers from Hispanics compared to Anglos (43% versus 61%, respectively, p = 0.

Molecular genetic studies of early breast cancer evolution.

In the past few years there has been an explosion in the number of patients diagnosed with hyperplastic breast disease and in situ breast cancer. Based on epidemiological data, these morphologically defined lesions may be categorized as those with little malignant potential (e.g.

[Comparative characteristics of membrane bound and cytoplasmic monoamine oxidases in human placenta].

Catalytic and physico-chemical properties of human placental monoamine oxidases (MAO) were studied. Both forms of the enzyme, membrane-bound and soluble, exhibited similar properties: optimal activity at pH8.3, equal rate of inhibition with selective MAO inhibitors, identical substrate specificity (the best substrate--serotonin).