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Biomedical subjects

F Mertens

Publications and source records attributed to F Mertens.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Hibernomas are characterized by rearrangements of chromosome bands 11q13-21.

Cytogenetic analysis revealed structural rearrangements of 11q13-21 in 9 lipogenic tumors--4 hibernomas, 4 typical lipomas and 1 mixed myxoid and well-differentiated liposarcoma. Two hibernomas and all lipomas simultaneously showed aberrations attributable to previously recognized cytogenetic subgroups among benign adipose tissue tumors, i.e., supernumerary ring chromosomes or rearrangements of 6p, 12q13-15, or 13q. The sole anomaly in the liposarcoma was a 4-way translocation t(9;11;22;12)(q21;q13;q11;q13), an aberration that has not previously been detected in either myxoid or well-differentiated liposarcomas. Together with our 4 cases, a total of 7 cytogenetically aberrant hibernomas have been reported. Five tumors have shown rearrangements of 11q13 and 2 of 11q21, indicating that this segment of chromosome 11 harbors one or more genes of importance in hibernoma development. Rearrangements of 11q13-21 also appear to be frequent in typical lipomas; a total of 8 typical lipomas with 11q13-21 changes have been described, including those in our series. In all but 1 however, breakpoints were also found in 6p, 12q13-15, or 13q.

Adult↗

Loss of chromosome band 8q24 in sporadic osteocartilaginous exostoses.

We have karyotyped eight sporadic osteocartilaginous exostoses (OCE), a tumor type not characterized cytogenetically before. Five tumors had only normal karyotypes, whereas three displayed the following abnormal karyotypes: 46,XY,del(8)(q24.1); 46,XX,del(8)(q22), t(8;14)(q24.1;q32); and 46,XY,der(8)t(1;8)(q21;q24),inv(12)(p11q13). All three aberrant cases thus had structural rearrangements leading to loss of the distal part of 8q. This is of particular interest because multiple OCE are part of the disease phenotype in patients with the autosomal dominant tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome type II (TRP II), many of whom have constitutional loss of genetic material from 8q24.1. We hypothesis that band 8q24.1 harbors a tumor suppressor gene, the homozygous inactivation of which is important in the genesis of both inherited and sporadic OCE. In the familial form, i.e., in TRP II, loss or functional inactivation of one allele is inherited and only the second mutation is due to a somatic event, whereas both mutations are somatic in the sporadic forms. This hypothesis can be tested by analysis of sporadic and inherited OCE for homozygous loss of 8q24 material with molecular genetic techniques.

Adolescent↗

Cytogenetic aberrations in 188 benign and borderline adipose tissue tumors.

Chromosome studies of lipomas have revealed an extensive cytogenetic heterogeneity. To investigate the frequencies of previously recognized cytogenetic subgroups and to find out if more recurrent rearrangements can be identified, we have analyzed cytogenetically short-term tissue cultures of 237 samples from 188 adipose tissue tumors obtained from 142 patients. Only one of 58 tumors from 18 patients with multiple lipomas (more than two tumors) had karyotypic changes. Among the sporadic lipomas, 20 tumors had supernumerary ring chromosomes of unknown origin, 55 had different aberrations involving chromosome segment 12q13-15, 11 had changes of 6p or chromosome 13, but no rings or 12q13-15 changes, and 14 had various other aberrations. Ring chromosomes were found in all cytogenetically abnormal lipomas histologically classified as atypical and in nine tumors classified as typical lipoma or spindle cell lipoma. Recombinations between 12q13-15 and a few other bands or segments were seen more than once: 3q27-28 (15 tumors), 2p22-24 and 2q35 (four tumors), 1p32-34 and 13q12-14 (three tumors), and 5q33 (two tumors). Recombinations of 12q13-15 with 2q35 and 13q12-14 have not been described before. Of eight tumors with chromosome 13 aberrations, five had loss of 13q material. Aberrations of 12q13-15, 6p, and/or chromosome 13 were found simultaneously in nine tumors. Two to four samples from the same tumor were investigated in 29 tumors with clonal aberrations. Thirteen of these tumors displayed clonal evolution, also noted in another 17 tumors in which only one sample had been investigated. Thus clonal evolution occurred in 30% of the tumors and was particularly frequent in atypical lipomas.

Adolescent↗

Isochromosomes in neoplasia.

In order to ascertain the frequency and distribution of isochromosomes in neoplasia, we surveyed the cytogenetic data from 20,007 tumors with clonal chromosome aberrations reported in the literature. Tumor types for which at least 50 cases with acquired aberrations and 10 cases with isochromosomes had been reported were selected, yielding a total of 18,160 neoplasms. Of these, 1,792 cases (9.9%) displayed a total of 2,014 isochromosomes. The 9 most common isochromosomes (detected in at least 50 cases) were, in decreasing order of frequency, i(17q), i(8q), i(1q), i(12p), i(6p), i(7q), i(9q), i(5p), and i(21q). The frequency of isochromosomes varied among the different tumor types, with the highest incidence in germ cell neoplasms (60%) and the lowest in chronic myeloproliferative disorders (2.3%). Also, the spectrum of isochromosomes differed among the neoplasms. The most common isochromosomes in the different tumor types were i(11q), i(17q), and i(21q) in acute myeloid leukemia; i(9q), i(17q), and i(22q) in chronic myeloid leukemia; i(17q) in chronic myeloproliferative disorders; i(X)(q13), i(17q), and i(21q) in myelodysplastic syndromes; i(7q), i(9q), and i(17q) in acute lymphoblastic leukemia; i(1q), i(7q), i(8q), and i(17q) in chronic lymphoproliferative disorders; i(1q), i(6p), i(9p), i(17q), and i(21q) in Hodgkin's disease; i(1q), i(6p), and i(17q) in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; i(1q), i(8q), and i(17q) in adenocarcinoma; i(1q), i(3q), i(5p), and i(8q) in squamous cell carcinoma; i(5p), i(8q), and i(11q) in transitional cell carcinoma; i(1q), i(7q), and i(17q) in Wilms' tumor; i(1q), i(12p), and i(17q) in germ cell neoplasms; i(1p), i(1q), i(6p), and i(17q) in sarcoma; i(5p), i(6p), i(7p), and i(21q) in mesothelioma; i(1q), i(6p), and i(17q) in malignant neurogenic neoplasms; i(1q), i(6p), and i(17q) in retinoblastoma; and i(1q), i(6p), and i(8q) in malignant melanoma.

Chromosome Aberrations↗

Clonal structural chromosome aberrations in fibrous dysplasia.

Cytogenetic analysis of short-term cultures from a case of monostotic fibrous dysplasia in a 14-year-old girl revealed multiple clonal structural rearrangements with evidence of clonal evolution. The karyotype was 46,XX,del(3)(q27),add(10)(q22),add(12)(p13)/46,idem,t(3;8)(p21;q13 ),add(10) (q26),der(15)del(15)del(15)(q15q22)ins(15;?) q15;?)/46,id em,-X,+2,t(3;8),add(10),der(15). The finding of clonal structural aberrations suggests that fibrous dysplasia is a neoplastic lesion which develops as the result of somatic mutations.

Adolescent↗

Plasmodium vivax: dimorphic DNA sequences from the MSP-1 gene code for regions that are immunogenic in natural infections.

The merozoite surface protein 1 gene of Plasmodium vivax (PvMSP-1) is becoming a solid genetic marker for studying the polymorphism of natural parasite populations from this prevalent human malaria. Indeed, a conserved and a variant PvMSP-1 gene segments have been amplified from total genomic parasite DNA obtained from isolates representing seven countries and three continents. Interestingly, the variant PvMSP-1 gene segment contains two highly conserved parental allele forms capable of limited genetic exchange at the sexual stage in the mosquito vector. This variant PvMSP-1 gene segment was amplified from 18 Colombian isolates to try to determine whether the same two parental allele forms were also present in this geographical area. Southern blot and DNA sequencing analyses confirmed their existence among the Colombian isolates. Moreover, expression of these two allele forms as recombinant proteins allowed us to demonstrate for the first time that this PvMSP-1 gene segment codes for amino acid sequences that are exposed on the surface of P. vivax schizonts and that are immunogenic in natural infections.

Alleles↗

A new cytogenetic subgroup in lipomas: loss of chromosome 16 material in spindle cell and pleomorphic lipomas.

Six spindle cell lipomas and two pleomorphic lipomas were analyzed cytogenetically. One spindle cell lipoma had a supernumerary ring chromosome as the sole anomaly. The other five spindle cell lipomas and both pleomorphic lipomas had hypodiploid stemlines with monosomy 16 or unbalanced aberrations leading to loss of 16q13-qter, a feature distinguishing these lipoma subtypes from other benign and borderline adipose tissue tumor histotypes. unbalanced aberrations of chromosomes 13 and 10 were found in five and three cases respectively; 13q12 was lost in all of these cases, whereas there was no common deleted segment in chromosome 10. No aberrations involving 12q13-15, which are frequent in typical lipomas, were found. Both pleomorphic lipomas, but none of the spindle cell lipomas, had hypotetraploid sidelines, multiple nonclonal aberrations, and telomeric associations. The present findings reveal a new cytogenetic/histopathological association in adipose tissue tumors.

Aged↗

Cytogenetic heterogeneity in a clear cell hidradenoma of the skin.

Short-term cultures from a clear cell hidradenoma, a benign skin tumor for which no chromosome data exist, were cytogenetically analyzed. A total of eight unrelated aberrant clones were identified. The karyotypic profiles of two separately processed parts of the sample--a tumor nodule and seemingly normal adjacent dermal tissue--were different. Characteristic for the tumor nodule was a single abnormal clonal population consisting of three subclones: 46,XY,der(2)inv(2)(p13q23)t(2;9)(p13;q22), der(9)t(2;9)(q23;q22),t(11;19)(q21;p13),t(12;19)(q24;p13)/46,idem, inv(1)(p32q44)/92,idemx2. The adjacent tissue contained, in addition to the clone found in the tumor nodule, a spectrum of unrelated clones, the largest of which also showed clonal evolution: 45-47,XY,t(3;6)(p25;p25),t(12;17)(q15;q12),-17,+r(17)x2 [cp]/45-47,idem,inv(5)(p15q22)/90-94,idemx2. The remaining six clones found in this part were small and had simpler numerical or structural aberrations. The multiclonal pattern observed in this hidradenoma seems to reflect both cytogenetic convergence and divergence during neoplastic progression. The presence of unrelated clones may be an indication that the tumor was of multicellular origin.

Acrospiroma↗

Clonal chromosome aberrations in three sacral chordomas.

Cytogenetic analysis was successful in seven of eight sacral chordomas. Clonal chromosome aberrations were detected in three. One had a t(1;6)(q44;q11) as the sole aberration, one displayed three near-diploid clones that shared del(2)(p21), del(9)(p13), -10, structural rearrangements of 12q13, and add(19)(p13), and the third chordoma had two aberrant cell populations--one hypodiploid with several numerical and structural changes, the other hypertriploid-hypotetraploid with all marker chromosomes in duplicate. Including the present cases, seven cytogenetically aberrant chordomas have been reported. Five have had hypodiploid clones and the most frequent changes have been -3, -4, -10, and -13. No recurrent structural rearrangement has been identified; the only chromosome bands involved more than once are 1q21, 3q11, 5p15, 20q13, and 21q22.

Adult↗

Characteristic karyotypic features in lacrimal and salivary gland carcinomas.

Short-term cultures from 12 non-squamous cell carcinomas (NSCCs) of the head and neck were cytogenetically investigated. Three tumours were acinic cell carcinomas, two adenoid cystic carcinomas, three mucoepidermoid carcinomas, two carcinomas in pleomorphic adenoma, and two adenocarcinomas. Clonal chromosome aberrations were detected in all but one adenocarcinoma. Including our data, a total of 40 head and neck NSCCs with clonal aberrations have been described. Deletions of the long arm of chromosome 6 are the most common aberrations (11/40 cases); they have been detected in all types of NSCC except carcinoma in pleomorphic adenoma. Two aberrations seem to be closely associated with tumour type: t(6;9)(q21-24;p13-23), which has been seen in three of 11 adenoid cystic carcinomas (in two as the sole aberration), and structural rearrangements of 8q12-13, which have been detected in three of four carcinomas in pleomorphic adenoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Characterization of naturally acquired human IgG responses against the N-terminal region of the merozoite surface protein 1 of Plasmodium vivax.

The primary structure of the merozoite surface protein 1 of Plasmodium vivax (PvMSP-1) revealed the existence of conserved and polymorphic blocks of the protein among different Plasmodium species. To characterize the naturally acquired IgG antibody responses to the PvMSP-1 molecule, the entire N-terminal portion of this protein was expressed as 10 overlapping glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins. The affinity-purified recombinant products were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot against the sera of malaria patients from the state of Rondonia, Brazil. We found that the majority of these sera did not contain IgG antibodies recognizing recombinant proteins expressing exclusively interspecies conserved blocks of the molecule. In contrast, a high proportion of these same sera reacted against recombinant products expressing interspecies polymorphic regions of this protein. The poor B cell immunogenicity of the interspecies conserved blocks of the PvMSP-1 molecule most likely reflects important and unknown structural or functional features of these regions.

Adult↗

Secondary chromosomal abnormalities in acute leukemias.

Secondary chromosomal aberrations reported in the literature were surveyed in acute myeloid or lymphoblastic leukemia (AML or ALL) with one of the following primary abnormalities: in AML, t(1;3), t(1;22), der(1;7), inv(3), t(3;5) +4, del(5q), t(6;9), -7, t(7;11), del(7q), +8, t(8;16), t(8;21), +9, t(9;11), del(9q), t(9;22), +11, del(11q), t(11;19), del(12p), +13, t(15;17), inv(16), t(16;21), i(17)(q10), del(20q), -21, +21, +22, and -Y; in ALL, t(1;14), t(1;19), der(19)t(1;19), t(4;11), del(6q), t(8;14)(q24;q11), t(8;14)(q24;q32), t(8;22), del(9p), dic(9;12), i(9)(q10), t(9;22), t(10;14), t(11;14), t(11;19), del(12p), -20, +21, and del(22q). Out of 7111 acute leukemias with clonal karyotypic aberrations, 2414 AMLs and 1078 ALLs had one of the selected primary chromosome rearrangements, and 40 and 49% of these AMLs and ALLs, respectively, displayed additional abnormalities. The type and frequency of these secondary changes were ascertained and then correlated with both the primary abnormality and the morphology or immunophenotype of the acute leukemia. The distribution of the secondary changes was clearly nonrandom. The most frequent numerical changes were -Y, -X, -7, +8, and +22 in AML and +X, +6, -7, +8, and +21 in ALL. The most common structural aberrations were del(5q), del(7q), and del(9q) in AML and dup(1q), i(7q)(q10), and der(22)t(9;22) in ALL. Some secondary changes were common to both disease groups, e.g. -7, +8, and +21, but several anomalies were restricted to either AML, such as -X, -5, and del(9q), or ALL, e.g. +X, i(7)(q10), and i(9)(q10). The type and frequency of the secondary aberrations varied within the AMLs and ALLs, not only among the different primary abnormality subgroups but also among the AML morphologies and the immunophenotypic maturation degrees of the ALLs. In general, the type of primary abnormality, rather than the differentiation stage of the acute leukemia, appeared to be instrumental in determining the type of secondary changes accruing. This conclusion was based on the finding that several primary abnormalities characterizing acute leukemias of the same morphology or immunophenotype displayed different patterns of secondary anomalies. The nonrandom, and sometimes quite specific, patterns of secondary aberrations strongly indicate that they are responsible for important phenotypic features of the tumor cell population, presumably closely associated with tumor progression. The molecular pathogenetic consequences of the secondary anomalies are unknown, but since most secondary changes are monosomies, trisomies, deletions, or isochromosomes resulting in genomic imbalances, one may hypothesize that gene dosage alterations rather than specific gene rearrangements are essential for tumor evolution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗

Age- and gender-related heterogeneity of cancer chromosome aberrations.

The karyotype of a neoplasm is known to be associated not only with the histopathologic subtype of the tumor but also with previous cytotoxic exposure and with the geographic place of origin of the patient. Some data also indicate that cytogenetic patterns vary with age and gender. To further investigate whether the frequencies of cancer chromosome aberrations differ between children and adults or between men and women, clinical and karyologic data on 14,141 neoplasms with clonal chromosome changes reported in the literature were assessed. In cytogenetically well-characterized neoplasias, recognized primary and secondary chromosome aberrations were selected, and their frequencies were calculated in men, women, children (< or = 15 years), and adults (> 15 years). In general, the frequencies of the various aberrations did not differ between men and women or between children and adults, but a few exceptions were found. In refractory anemia (RA) and RA with excess of blasts or in transformation, del(5q) was more common among women. In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL-L1 + L2), t(1;19) was more frequently detected in women and del(6q) more common among men. In Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myeloid leukemia, gain of an extra der(22)t(9;22) occurred more frequently among men. Four primary aberrations were more common in children than in adults: t(8;21) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML-M2), -7 in AML-M4, der(11q) in AML-M5, and t(8;14) in ALL-L3. On the other hand, der(16q) in AML-M4 and t(9;22) in ALL-L1 + L2 were more common in adults. The only secondary cancer chromosome aberration showing a variation with age was loss of the Y chromosome in AML-M2 with t(8;21), being more common in children than in adults. These variations might be spurious and level out when more data are collected, but more probably they reflect, for reasons presently unknown, that different genetic mechanisms may be operative in children and adults--and even in men and women--in the development of some tumors.

Adult↗

Cytogenetic findings in 33 osteosarcomas.

Thirty-three osteosarcomas (OS) were analyzed cytogenetically. Clonal chromosome changes were detected in 17 cases. Six tumors had chromosome numbers in the diploid range, 6 in the triploid range, 1 in the tetraploid range and 1 in the pentaploid range, while 3 tumors had multiple clones with different ploidy levels. Including the present 17 tumors, a total of 27 OS with clonal aberrations have been reported. The recognizable structural rearrangements in these 27 tumors clustered to chromosome arms 1p, 1q, 3p, 3q, 7q, 11p, 17p and 22q. Chromosome bands 1q11, 1q21, 1q42 and 7q11 were the most frequently rearranged, and the most common numerical rearrangements were -3, -10, -13 and -15. Supernumerary ring chromosomes, in 2 tumors as the sole change, were found in all 3 parosteal OS, which is in agreement with the findings in 1 previously reported parosteal OS. The association between ring formation and parosteal morphology represents the first cytogenetic-morphologic entity among OS.

Adolescent↗

Chromosome abnormalities in eighty-three head and neck squamous cell carcinomas: influence of culture conditions on karyotypic pattern.

Short-term cultures from 115 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the head and neck were cytogenetically investigated. Thirty-six of the tumors have been reported previously, whereas 79 are new cases. The material was divided into two series based on the medium used. The 80 tumors of series I were cultured in RPMI 1640 supplemented with fetal calf serum, glutamine, antibiotics, insulin, cholera toxin, and epidermal growth factor. The 35 tumors of series II were cultured in a chemically defined, serum-free medium with a low calcium concentration, MCDB 153, which stimulates epithelial growth while inhibiting fibroblasts. A total of 83 tumors with clonal karyotypic abnormalities were detected in the two series. Series II had a higher proportion of tumors with complex karyotypic changes than series I (43% versus 15%), a lower proportion of tumors with pseudo- or neardiploid clones characterized by simple rearrangements (3% versus 34%), and a lower frequency of unrelated clones (3% versus 24%), indicating that the different culture conditions favored growth of different cell populations. Except for rearrangements of 1p22, which were mainly found in series I, the distribution of breakpoints in structural aberrations was similar in the two series and clustered to several chromosomal bands or regions, in particular 11q13, 1p22, 1p11-12, 3p11-q11, 5q13, 1q25, 15q10, and 8q10. Unbalanced structural aberrations were more common in series II, frequently leading to loss of segments from chromosome arms 3p, 7q, 8p, 11q, 13p, 14p, and 15p, whereas gain of genetic material often involved chromosome arms 1q, 3q, 8q, and 15q.

Aged↗

Trisomy 7 in nonneoplastic cells.

The somatic mutation theory of tumorigenesis states that mutations are necessary for tumor development. On the other hand, acquired, clonal chromosomal alterations are occasionally detected in otherwise normal, nonneoplastic cells--for example, loss of sex chromosomes occurs in bone marrow cells and lymphocytes in elderly individuals--and it is therefore evident that not all mutations are by themselves sufficient for neoplasia to occur. Thus, the finding of an acquired, clonal chromosomal abnormality does not constitute proof that a lesion is neoplastic. Trisomy 7 has, as the sole clonal chromosomal aberrations, been reported in a wide variety of epithelial tumor types but also in some mesenchymal and neurogenic neoplasms. It has been suggested to be a primary, i.e., tumor-initiating, abnormality in tumors of the bladder, brain, colon, kidney, lung, ovary, prostate, and thyroid. But data from cytogenetic studies of solid tumors, macroscopically normal tissue in the proximity of solid tumors, and nonneoplastic lesions now question the importance of a solitary +7 as a neoplasia-associated change. Most solid tumors in which trisomy 7 has been found as the sole change in one clone have also displayed other, cytogenetically unrelated, clones with complex karyotypic abnormalities. Such karyotypic differences among coexisting clones could indicate that the neoplasm is polyclonal, that the cytogenetically disparate clones have emerged during tumor progression from one original clone carrying submicroscopic genomic changes only, or that the clone with +7 does not represent the tumor parenchyma. The latter interpretation is supported by the finding of cells with trisomy 7 in macroscopically normal tissue outside tumors of the brain, kidney, and lung.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic↗

Chromosome aberrations in tenosynovial giant cell tumors and nontumorous synovial tissue.

Five tenosynovial giant cell tumors--4 pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) and 1 nodular tenosynovitis (NTS)--were investigated cytogenetically. Clonal chromosome aberrations were detected in 3 of them. One PVNS had t(7;16)(q22;q24) as the sole anomaly, whereas 1 PVNS and the NTS displayed aberrations suggesting clonal evolution: t(1;19)(p11;p12)/t(1;19), +12 and ins(5;1)(q31p34)/ins(5;1),t(2;4)(p23;q21), respectively. Including our 3 cases, a total of 6 tenosynovial giant cell tumors with karyotypic changes have been reported. Apart from 2 PVNS with trisomies 5 and 7, and 2 NTS with rearrangement of chromosome band 1p13, no recurrent chromosome change has been detected. Although the detection of clonal, acquired chromosome abnormalities has formerly generally been accepted as sufficient to conclude that a lesion is neoplastic, the interpretation of the pathogenetic significance of the karyotypic aberrations in synovial tumors is obscured by the fact that we have also detected comparable aberrations in obviously nonneoplastic synovial tissue. One of 2 lesions from patients with hemorrhagic synovitis carried a clonal del(13)(q12q21), and 2 of 4 synovectomy samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis displayed -Y and -Y together with +7. The available cytogenetic data therefore cannot be used to resolve the controversy as to whether tenosynovial giant cell tumors are truly neoplastic or only reactive, inflammatory proliferations.

Adult↗