Background: The genetic aberrations associated with development and progression of gastric carcinomas (GCs) are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to identify chromosomal aberrations associated with the development and/or progression of intestinal-type GC.
Materials and methods: Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) analysis was applied to 36 intestinal-type GCs. We compared chromosomal aberrations detected by CGH analysis with clinicopathological parameters.
Results: Frequent gains of DNA copy number were found on 8q, 13q, 20q, 3q, 6q and losses were found on 17p, 18q in intestinal-type GCs. No significant differences were observed in the chromosomal aberrations between tumor stage, tumor location, peritoneal dissemination, liver metastasis or other distant metastasis. However, the frequencies of 20q12-13 gain and 18q21-22 loss were significantly higher in tumors with lymph node metastasis than in those without metastasis.
Conclusion: Gains of 20q and losses of 18q may contribute to lymph node metastasis and the malignant phenotype in intestinal-type GCs.