Specific loss of chromosomes 1, 2, 6, 10, 13, 17, and 21 in chromophobe renal cell carcinomas revealed by comparative genomic hybridization.

We analyzed 19 chromophobe renal cell carcinomas by means of comparative genomic hybridization. Two tumors revealed no numerical abnormalities. In the remaining 17 cases we found loss of entire chromosomes with underrepresentation of chromosome 1 occurring in all 17 cases; loss of chromosomes 2, 10, and 13 in 16 cases; loss of chromosomes 6 and 21 in 15 tumors; and loss of chromosome 17 in 13 cases. The loss of the Y chromosome was observed in 6 of 13 tumors from male patients, whereas 1 X chromosome was lost in 3 of 4 tumors obtained from females. Comparative genomic hybridization results were verified by interphase cytogenetics. We conclude that a specific combination of multiple chromosomal losses characterizes chromophobe renal cell carcinomas and may help to differentiate them unequivocally from other types of kidney cancer.