Frequent Genetic Instability in Small Intestinal Carcinomas

To determine whether genetic instability plays a part in the development of digestive tract carcinomas, we analyzed 3 microsatellite loci isolated from tumors and surrounding normal tissue samples obtained during surgery. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used to assess differences between tumor and matched normal DNAs. Replication errors (RERs) were observed in 3 of the 29 cases (10%) of gastric carcinoma and in 11 of the 72 cases (15%) of colorectal carcinoma. None of the 13 (0%) esophageal carcinoma cases showed any RER, but 5 of the 11 cases of small intestinal carcinoma (45%) had RERs, a significantly frequent finding. These results suggest that genetic instability plays an important role in the pathogenesis of small intestinal carcinomas.