Homozygous deletions of human chromosome 3p in lung tumors

Cytogenetic and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) studies have demonstrated that deletions of chromosome 3p occur at a high frequency in all forms of lung cancer. To clarify the role of 3p in lung tumorigenesis and to more precisely identify targets for positional cloning efforts, we have performed 3p deletion analyses (microsatellite and fluorescence in situ hybridization) in a series of lung cancer cell lines and uncultured tumor samples. Importantly, we identified homozygous deletions in four uncultured tumors and one cell line. Homozygous deletions were found in three squamous tumors within a region of 3p21 which had previously been described only in cell lines, a 1-2-megabase homozygous deletion in a small cell tumor at 3p12, and a 3p14.2 homozygous deletion in a non-small cell lung carcinoma cell line. The detection of homozygous deletions affecting these multiple regions in uncultured tumor cells substantiates the belief (previously based on deletions found only in tumor cell lines) that these sites contain important tumor suppressor genes. Along with previously reported homozygous deletions in a distal portion of 3p21.3, we now have evidence for four separate regions of 3p which undergo homozygous deletions in either uncultured lung tumors or cell lines.