[DNA analysis in gestational trophoblastic disease].

OBJECTIVE

DNA analysis of different forms of gestational trophoblastic disease.

DESIGN

Retrospective clinical study.

SETTING

Slovak Center of Trophoblastic Disease, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.

METHODS

In the period of September 1993 to April 2003, eighty-nine cases of gestational trophoblastic disease were analysed. There were 22 cases of partial hydatidiform moles, 58 cases of complete hydatidiform mole, 5 cases of invasive mole and 4 cases of gestational choriocarcinomas. Southern hybridization and polymerase chain reaction were used for DNA analysis.

RESULTS

From 22 analyzed cases of partial hydatidiform moles 19 (86.4%) were triploid and 3 (13.6%) diploid ones. There were 58 cases of complete hydatidiform mole and out of them 29 (50%) were homozygous, 28 (48.3%) heterozygous, and in one case (1.7%) both paternal and maternal genome was detected. In 8 cases of heterozygous and in one case of homozygous complete hydatidiform mole occurred a malignant transformation to gestational choriocarcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Molecular analysis can determine the nuclear DNA origin of complete hydatidiform mole and allow us to define the patients with higher risk of malignant transformation usually to gestational choriocarcinoma.