Detection of chromosomal DNA imbalance in medulloblastoma by comparative genomic hybridization

Objective To investigate the relationship between chromosomal genomic DNA imbalance in medulloblastoma (MB), and the age and gender. Methods The gains and losses of chromosomal genomic DNA in 16 MBs were analyzed using comparative genomic hybridization. Results The gains and (or) losses were found in 15 of the 16 cases. There was not significant difference (P＞0.05)between the total gains (10/16) and losses (11/16). Both of their differences had also no significance between different age and gender groups(P＞0.05). In 15 cases with gains and (or) losses, single-, two-,three-and multi-chromosome genomic DNA imbalances were 3/15, 4/15, 1/15 and 7/15 respectively.Eleven gain zones (+5q, +6q, +7q, +11q, +1Sq, +17p, +17q, +19q, +20q, +21q, +Xp)and twenty-five loss zones(-1p,-1q, -2p, -2q, -3q, -4p, -6p, -6q, -8p, -8q, -10p,-10q, -11p, -14q, -16p, -16q, -17p, -18p, -18q,-19p, -19q, -20p, -20q,-Xp,-Xq) were detected in those tumors. +7q (6/16), + 17q (6/16), - 14q (5/16) and - 10q (3/16)were the most frequent, but - 14q only occurred in the cases of ＞ 10-year-old. Conclusions Most MBs have chromosomal genomic DNA imbalances. The frequent imbalance zones are mainly at the long arms of some chromosomes. +7q, + 17q, -14q and -10q correlate closely to development of the tumors. -14qis important factor to result in MBs of ＞ 10-year-old group. MB has possibly different molecular genetics subtype. Key words: Medulloblastoma; Chromosome aberrations; Chromosome deletion; Nucleic acid hybridization