Chemokine receptor CXCR4 expression is correlated with VEGF expression and poor survival in soft-tissue sarcoma.

The expression of chemokine receptor CXCR4 has been associated with poor prognosis and VEGF expression in several kinds of human malignancy. We measured CXCR4 expression levels in soft-tissue sarcoma and compared them with VEGF expression or microvessel density (MVD). We used real-time quantitative PCR to examine the CXCR4 and VEGF expression levels in a total 176 tumors, including 24 intermediate tumors, 24 malignant round-cell tumors (MRCTs) and 128 malignant non-round-cell tumors (MNRCTs).

Detection of COL1A1-PDGFB fusion transcripts and PDGFB/PDGFRB mRNA expression in dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.

Fusion of the collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1) gene with the platelet-derived growth factor beta chain (PDGFB) gene has been described in dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. The abnormal fusion transcripts probably cause PDGFB and its receptor (platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta, PDGFRB) autocrine stimulation and cell proliferation, which are responsible for the development of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. A reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay was performed to detect the COL1A1-PDGFB fusion transcripts in 57 samples.

DNA hypermethylation status of multiple genes in soft tissue sarcomas.

The aberrant methylation of promoter CpG islands is known to be a major inactivation mechanism of tumor-related genes. To determine the clinicopathological significance of gene promoter methylation in soft tissue sarcomas, we examined the promoter methylation status of 10 tumor-related genes in 65 soft tissue sarcomas and 19 adjacent non-neoplastic tissues by methylation-specific PCR. The methylation frequencies of tumor-related genes tested in soft tissue sarcomas were 17 (26%) for RASSF1A, 11 (17%) for DAP kinase, 10 (15%) for MGMT, nine (14%) for GSTP1, eight (12%) for PTEN, six (9%) for p16 and hMLH1, five (8%) for hMSH2, two (3%) for p14, and one (2%) for RB.

Frequent alteration of p16(INK4a)/p14(ARF) and p53 pathways in the round cell component of myxoid/round cell liposarcoma: p53 gene alterations and reduced p14(ARF) expression both correlate with poor prognosis.

In myxoid/round cell liposarcoma (MLS/RCLS), the presence of a round cell (RC) component has been reported to correlate with a worse prognosis for the patients. However, little is known about the molecular genetic differences between conventional myxoid (MX) components and RC components in this tumour. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible implications of molecular alterations of G1 to S-phase check-point genes, especially in the RC component.

ATP-binding cassette superfamily transporter gene expression in human soft tissue sarcomas.

The phenomenon of multidrug resistance (MDR) in various malignant neoplasms has been reported as being caused by one or multiple expressions of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily protein, including P-glycoprotein/multidrug resistance (MDR) 1 and the MDR protein (MRP) family. However, their expression levels and distribution within soft tissue sarcomas remain controversial. In 86 cases of surgically resected soft tissue sarcoma, intrinsic mRNA levels of MDR1, MRP1, MRP2 and MRP3 were assessed using a quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) method.

E-cadherin mutation and Snail overexpression as alternative mechanisms of E-cadherin inactivation in synovial sarcoma.

We have recently reported frequent E-cadherin gene mutations in synovial sarcoma (SS), suggesting mutational inactivation of E-cadherin as a potential mechanism of spindle cell morphology in SS, a spindle cell sarcoma that shows areas of glandular epithelial differentiaton in some cases (biphasic SS) and only pure spindle cell morphology in most cases (monophasic SS). However, the mechanism of downregulation of E-cadherin in SS remains unknown. To further address this issue, we analysed the mechanisms of E-cadherin silencing in 40 SS.