MALIGNANT POTENTIAL OF HOMOZYGOUS AND HETEROZYGOUS COMPLETE MOLES

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 44  (3) , 1226-1230
Abstract
There are 2 main mechanisms of origin for complete hydatidiform mole: fertilization of an empty egg by a haploid sperm followed by duplication (monospermic model); and fertilization of such an egg by 2 haploid spermatozoa (dispermic mole). The former is inevitably homozygous (homozygous mole); the latter may be heterozygous for a given genetic marker (heterozygous mole). The incidence of postmolar sequelae between patients with homozygous moles and those with heterozygous moles were compared. Making use of chromosomal heteromorphisms and human lymphocyte antigen and phosphoglucuromutase 1 polymorphisms, the androgenetic origin of a complete mole was established in 49 of 56 cases. Homozygosity was confirmed in 21 moles, and heterozygosity was confirmed in 5. Three of 5 patients with heterozygous moles developed postmolar trophoblastic disease; none of the 21 patients with homozygous moles suffered postmolar trophoblastic disease except 1 who showed signs of degenerating residual trophoblasts. Consistent with this observation is the fact that all of the 4 destructive moles studied here were of dispermic origin. Thus, heterozygous moles seem to have a higher malignant potential than do homozygous moles.

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