Background and Aim: In hepatocarcinogenesis, both de novo and multistep pathways have been suggested, and in the latter a dysplastic nodule is the proposed precancerous lesion. But genetic changes involved in the dysplastic nodule are not well understood. In this study, we tried to determine whether allelic loss of the chromosome 8p and/or 11p could be involved in the development of the dysplastic nodule and/or hepatocellular carcinoma. Platelet‐derived growth factor‐receptor beta‐like tumor suppressor gene (PRLTS) and deletion in liver cancer‐1 tumor suppressor gene are located at 8p21.3‐p22. The hepatitis B virus integration site and WT1 tumor suppressor gene are located at 11p13.

Methods: We therefore studied loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of chromosome 8p21.3–p22 and 11p13 in 22 dysplastic nodules and 21 hepatocellular carcinomas. The samples, microdissected from paraffin‐embedded tissues, were examined using a polymerase chain reaction‐based LOH assay using microsatellite markers.

Results: Loss of heterozygosity was detected for chromosome 8p21.3–p22 in nine (40.9%) of 22 dysplastic nodules and in eight (42.1%) of 19 hepatocellular carcinomas. D8S261, located adjacent to PRLTS, showed most frequent LOH: 28.6% in dysplastic nodule and 40.0% in hepatocellular carcinoma. Loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 11p13 was found in three (15.8%) of 19 dysplastic nodules and in six (31.6%) of 19 hepatocellular carcinomas. Loss of heterozygosity of D11S995 and D11S907 was found in 33.3% and 7.1% of dysplastic nodules, and 8.3% and 44.4% of hepatocellular carcinomas, respectively.

Conclusion: These results suggest that at least one putative tumor suppressor gene involved in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma may be located on 8p21.3–p22 and 11p13. Particularly, PRLTS might be related to an early genetic event of hepatocarcinogenesis.

© 2003 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd