Context: Deletion of the short arm of chromosome 3 (3p deletion) is a cytogenetic abnormality generally associated with clear cell renal cell carcinoma, the most aggressive form of renal epithelial tumor.
Objective: To cytogenetically characterize 24 renal tumors in order to check the incidence and the type of 3p deletions, as well as to identify new genes putatively participating in renal tumorigenesis and test the protein products of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) and fragile histidine triad (FHIT) genes.
Design: We analyzed 24 renal tumors by conventional cytogenetics, comparative genomic hybridization, and fluorescence in situ hybridization. We then performed a comparative expression study of the proteins pVHL and Fhit.
Results: In our series of 24 renal tumors, the 3p deletion was the most frequent genetic alteration (15/24); the other features were partial trisomy 5q, 8p deletion, and monosomy 9 and 14. The 3p deletion was long and terminal, and no interstitial deletion was identified. By immunohistochemistry, we found that for the 2 genes of interest, VHL and FHIT, loss or decrease in protein expression were very frequently observed in clear cell renal cell carcinoma and not always associated with a 3p deletion (14/20 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma).
Conclusions: Our studies characterize the 3p deletion as long and terminal and identify no interstitial deletion in that chromosome. Fhit and pVHL protein expression loss appear to be independent, as they can be dissociated. Our data are supportive of a role for FHIT (in addition to VHL) in renal tumorigenesis. No other gene with particular potential interest in renal tumorigenesis could be identified among the selected genes.