ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate mutations in the D-loop region of mitochondrial DNA in ovarian tumors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The D-loop region of 25 epithelial ovarian tumors together with the adjacent normal tissues were amplified by PCR and sequenced.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 25 ovarian tumors, 26 mutations were identified with the mutation rate of 32%. 19 mutations were detected in two cases of borderline carcinoma which was a special type of epithelial ovarian carcinoma. There were 6 microsatellite instabilities among the mutations and 11 new polymorphisms which were not reported previously in the GenBank.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The D-loop region of mitochondrial DNA is a highly polymorphoric and mutable region and the mutation rate is relatively high in patients with ovarian tumors.</p>