Loss of alleles of loci on the short arm of chromosome 3 in renal cell carcinoma

Loss of genes at specific chromosomal loci is a characteristic of retinoblastoma1, Wilms' tumour11, transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder2, embryonal tumours3 and small cell carcinoma of the lung4–7. The significance of nonrandom gene loss in these neoplasms is that gene loss on one chromosome may uncover null mutations at corresponding loci of the homologous chromosome8,9. Loss of specific gene products from somatic cells may be critical in the origin or evolution of certain human tumours. Clues to identification of new loci of gene loss in common adult solid tumours may be found in literature that describes chromosomal abnormalities in rare heritable cancers. Karyotypes of tumours in two families with hereditary renal carcinoma showed translocations involving the short arm of chromosome 3 (refs 10 and 11). We have examined tumours from 18 patients with non-hereditary renal cell carcinomas and found loss of alleles at loci on the short arm of chromosome 3 in all eleven of the patients who could be evaluated.