[Study on the mitochondrion DNA mutation in tumor tissues of gynecologic oncology patients].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the mitochondrion DNA (mtDNA) mutation in tumor tissues of gynecologic oncology patients and their relationship to tumorigenesis and tumor development.

METHODS

The samples of tumor tissue and their proximal normal tissue of 32 gynecological malignant tumor patients as well as 8 gynecological benign tumor patients were taken. The malignants were 5 squamous cervical carcinomas, 10 endometrial carcinomas and 17 epithelial ovarian cancers (EOC). The benign tumors were 4 ovarian epithelial tumors and 4 uterine myomas. Polymerase chain reaction-single strain conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and DNA sequencing were done to examine mtDNA mutation.

RESULTS

The mtDNA mutation rate and polymorphism rate were 68.8% and 56.3% respectively in 32 cases of malignants. The mtDNA mutation rate and polymorphism rate were 2/8 and 4/8 respectively in 8 cases of benigns. The difference between malignants and benigns was significant (P < 0.05). The hot point of mtDNA mutation were located in Cytb gene region. The characteristic mtDNA mutation is multigene and multisites mutation. The mojarity (63.6%) of patients involved in 2 more gene mutation.

CONCLUSIONS

There is high frequent mtDNA coding area mutation in gynecological malignant tumors, indicating that mtDNA coding region mutation is closely related to gynecological malignants development and progression. It may be an important extra nuclear molecular genetic alteration in mechanisms of tumorigenesis.