Differential gene expression in stromal cells of human giant cell tumor of bone

Giant cell tumor (GCT) offers a unique model for the hematopoietic–stromal cell interaction in human bone marrow. Evidence has been presented that GCT stromal cells (GCTSCs) promote accumulation, size and activity of the giant cells. Although GCTSCs are considered the neoplastic component of GCT, little is known about their genetic basis and, to date, a tumor-specific gene expression pattern has not been characterized. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been identified as the origin of the GCT neoplastic stromal cell. Using state of the art array technology, expression profiling was applied to enriched stromal cell populations from five different GCTs and two primary MSCs as controls. Of the 29 differentially expressed genes found, 25 showed an increased expression. Differential mRNA expression was verified by real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of 10 selected genes, supporting the validity of cDNA arrays as a tool to identify tumor-related genes in GCTSCs. Increased expression of two oncogenes, JUN and NME2, was substantiated at the protein level, utilizing immunohistochemical evaluation of GCT sections and Western-blot analysis. Increased phosphorylation of JUN Ser-63 was also found.     

Novel metalloprotease-disintegrin, meltrin epsilon (ADAM35), expressed in epithelial tissues during chick embryogenesis.

Members of the ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) family are involved in fertilization, morphogenesis, and pathogenesis. Their metalloprotease domains mediate limited proteolysis, including ectodomain shedding of membrane-anchored growth factors and intercellular-signaling proteins, and their disintegrin domains play regulatory roles in cell adhesion and migration. In screening for cDNAs encoding chicken ADAM proteins expressed during muscle development, we identified Meltrin epsilon as a novel member of this family. To elucidate its functions, we investigated its expression during development by using antibodies raised against its protease domain. In the somites, Meltrin epsilon protein was specifically expressed in the myotomal cells, which delaminate from the dermomyotome to form epithelial sheets. It was also found in the surface ectoderm, lens placodes, otic vesicles, and the gut epithelia. Basolateral localization of Meltrin epsilon in these epithelial cells suggests its unique roles in the organization of the epithelial tissues and development of the sensory organs and the gut.     

Endothelial cell KIT expression in human tumours

Receptor tyrosine kinases expressed in endothelial cells are potential targets for therapy with specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Endothelial cell KIT expression has not been systematically evaluated in human cancer. In the present study, endothelial cell KIT expression was assessed in 345 tumours consisting of 34 different histological types using a tissue microarray technique. Marked KIT expression occurred in the tumour endothelial cells only in primary glioblastomas in the microarray. Moderate to strong KIT and phosphorylated KIT expression was detected in the tumour endothelial cells in six (16%) and seven (19%) of the 37 primary glioblastomas examined, respectively. In whole tissue sections, KIT and phosphorylated KIT were expressed in tumour endothelial cells in 13 (59%) and 11 (50%) of the 22 glioblastomas examined, respectively. RNA in situ hybridization showed KIT mRNA expression in most glioblastomas both in tumour vessel endothelial cells and in perinecrotic palisading glioblastoma cells, whereas little KIT mRNA was found in the endothelial cells of colon or pancreatic carcinomas. Phosphorylated KIT, its ligand stem cell factor, and the downstream signalling molecules phosphorylated Akt and mTOR were often expressed in glioblastoma cells located in the perinecrotic tumour areas that often also contained abundant HIF-1alpha. It is concluded that marked KIT and phosphorylated KIT expression is frequently present in the endothelial cells of glioblastomas, which are known to harbour florid microvascular proliferation with characteristic morphological features. Glioblastomas also express phosphorylated KIT and its activated downstream signalling molecules in the tumour cells. Lower levels of KIT and phosphorylated KIT are present in endothelial cells of other tumour types and in normal tissues. Endothelial cell and tumour cell expression of activated KIT might explain in part the responsiveness of glioblastomas to the combination of imatinib (an inhibitor of KIT) and hydroxyurea.     

Estrogen receptor expression in giant cell tumors of the bone

Giant cell tumors (GCTs) of the bone are primary skeletal neoplasms that behave intermediately between a true benign and an overtly malignant neoplasm. For two decades, controversial reports have found estrogen receptor (ER) expression in isolated cells or small numbers of samples from these tumors. In this report, we studied by immunohistochemistry 88 cases of GCTs and found that 51% of the samples expressed ER. Furthermore, we found that a subset of seven samples analyzed for ER expression by western blot was positive. To address whether the ER expressed in these samples could be functional, isolated cells were exposed to beta-estradiol and growth curves were generated. Exposure of cells to beta-estradiol induced a small but significant growth in the cells. These results strongly support that GCTs of the bone express functional ERs.     

Calcium pump expression in human bone and soft tissue tumours

Ninety-one cases of human bone and soft tissue tumours were studied for calcium pump expression by strepto-avidin-biotin immunohistochemical staining with a monoclonal antibody against sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium-ATPase (mAb6F5). Two out of 5 cases of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, 1 out of 5 cases of biphasic synovial sarcoma, 4 of 4 cases of chordoma and all of 3 chondrosarcoma cases were positive for mAb6F5. Although this novel monoclonal antibody can be used as a marker of myogenic tumours, the present positive result for endoplasmic reticulum calcium-ATPase (calcium pump) in other tumours including chordoma, chondrosarcoma and synovial sarcoma indicates a wider immunoreactivity. The findings further suggest that intracellular calcium may play an important role in cell proliferation and/or differentiation.     

Presence and expression of the simian virus-40 genome in human giant cell tumors of bone

SV40 DNA sequences have been found in human tumors, such as mesotheliomas, ependymomas, and bone tumors, suggesting that SV40 may be involved in their etiology. The FOS oncogene could play an important role in bone development because SV40 is able to induce FOS in cell culture. In this study, the presence of SV40 sequences, large T antigen (Tag), and FOS protein expression were investigated in 120 giant cell tumors (GCTs), moderately benign bone tumors that in some cases can progress to a malignant phenotype. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using primers that amplify the RB1 pocket binding domain and the intron of Tag, was used to analyze GCT for the presence of SV40 DNA. Tag and FOS protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. SV40 sequences were found in 30/107 GCTs, and of these, 22/30 samples expressed Tag protein (73%) and 15/30 overexpressed the FOS oncogene (50%). FOS was undetectable in 77 SV40-negative GCTs. Sequence analysis of the amplified DNAs confirmed that the amplified sequences corresponded to SV40 DNA. The correlation between FOS overexpression and SV40-positive GCTs was highly statistically significant (P < 0.001). These results show that SV40 DNA sequences and SV40 Tag are present in GCTs and might induce FOS activity. These data suggest that SV40 might play a role in the development and progression of some GCTs.     

The human T cell receptor alpha joining (TRAJ) genes

'Human T cell Receptor Alpha Joining Genes', the 9th report of the 'IMGT Locus in Focus' section, comprises 3 tables: (1) 'Human germline TRAJ genes'; (2) 'Human TRAJ allele table'; and (3) 'Nucleotide and protein displays of the human TRAJ alleles (overview)'. These tables are available on the IMGT Marie-Paule page from IMGT, the international ImMunoGeneTics database (http://imgt. cines.fr:8104) created in 1989 by Marie-Paule Lefranc, Université Montpellier II, CNRS, France.     

The human T cell receptor alpha variable (TRAV) genes

'Human T Cell Receptor Alpha Variable (TRAV) Genes', the eighth report of the 'IMGT Locus in Focus' section, comprises four tables: (1) 'Number of human germline TRAV genes at 14q11 and potential repertoire'; (2) 'Human germline TRAV genes at 14q11'; (3) 'Human TRAV allele table', and (4) 'Correspondence between the different human TRAV gene nomenclatures'. These tables are available at the IMGT Marie-Paule page of IMGT, the international ImMunoGeneTics database (http://imgt.cines.fr:8104) created by Marie-Paule Lefranc, Université Montpellier II, CNRS, France.     

Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (gelatinase B) is expressed in multinucleated giant cells of human giant cell tumor of bone and is associated with vascular invasion.

Human giant cell tumor (GCT) consists of multinucleated giant cells and mononuclear stromal cells, and is characterized by frequent vascular invasion without distant metastases. To study the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the vascular invasion, we examined production of MMP-1 (tissue collagenase), -2 (gelatinase A), -3 (stromelysin-1), -9 (gelatinase B), and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1 and -2) in GCT. MMP-9 was highly and predominantly expressed in giant cells by both immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Expression of other MMPs was also observed in some cases but was inconstant. Sandwich enzyme immunoassays demonstrated that MMP-9 is the predominant MMP secreted by GCT. There was a definite imbalance between the amounts of MMP-9 and those of TIMPs in the culture media of GCT, leading to detectable gelatinolytic activity in an assay using 14C-gelatin. Gelatin zymography demonstrated the main activity at about 90 kd, which was identified as the zymogen of MMP-9 by immunoblotting. Immunohistochemistry for type IV collagen and laminin, major basement membrane components, showed that disappearance of the proteins is closely associated with MMP-9-positive giant cells. These results indicate the production of MMP-9 by multinucleated giant cells and suggest that the metalloproteinase may contribute to proteolysis associated with vascular invasion and local bone resorption in human GCT.     

Chromosomal abnormalities in giant cell tumors of bone.

Cytogenetic analysis of short-term cultures from ten giant cell tumors of bone revealed clonal and nonclonal chromosome abnormalities in three tumors and nonclonal changes only in seven. None of the clonal aberrations, inv(21)(p11q21) in one tumor, +5 in another, and t(15q22q), dic(4;22)(p16;p1?), double minutes, dicentrics, and ring chromosomes present in three separate clones in the third tumor, were identical to previously reported clonal changes in giant cell tumors. Telomeric associations were found in five tumors. The telomeres of chromosome arms 19q and 15p were particularly frequently involved.     

Cyclin alterations in giant cell tumor of bone.

Cyclins play an important role in regulating the passage of dividing cells through critical checkpoints in the cell cycle. Because alterations of several cyclins, especially cyclin D1, have been implicated in the development of many human neoplasms, we examined 32 cases of giant cell tumor of long bones for cyclin D1 gene amplification and protein overexpression using differential polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, respectively. In addition, the expression of cyclin D3, cyclin B1, and the proliferation-associated antigen Ki-67 (MIB-1) was assessed immunohistochemically. Low-level cyclin D1 gene amplification was detected in 61% of giant cell tumor cases. All tumors showed cyclin D1, cyclin D3, cyclin B1, and Ki-67 (MIB-1) staining; however, the distribution was very characteristic. Cyclin D1 protein expression was seen predominantly in the nuclei of the giant cells, with occasional mononuclear cells staining. There was no correlation between cyclin D1 gene amplification and protein overexpression. Cyclin D3 staining showed a similar distribution, with 88% of cases showing protein overexpression. Cyclin D1 and/or D3 staining in the giant cells was never associated with staining for either cyclin B1 or Ki-67 (MIB-1), as the expression of the latter two proteins was restricted to the mononuclear cells. Cyclin B1 overexpression was seen in 44% of cases. Ki-67 (MIB-1) staining was present in all cases, and between 10 to 50% of the mononuclear cells were positive. These results suggest that alterations in cyclin D1 and/or D3 might play a role in the pathogenesis of giant cell tumor of bone.     

Regulation of MMP-9 (92 kDa type IV collagenase/gelatinase B) expression in stromal cells of human giant cell tumor of bone

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important regulatory role in tissue morphogenesis, cell differentiation, tumor invasion and metastasis. Several authors have reported a direct correlation between the production of 72 kDa (MMP-2) and 92 kDa (MMP-9) type IV collagenases/gelatinases and the metastatic potential of cancer cells. Recently, we have identified the expression of both MMP-2 and MMP-9 in primary cultures of human giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone in vitro, and in tissue extracts in vivo. Interestingly, MMP-9 is not secreted by late-passaged GCT cells. It is possible that the production of MMP-9 is regulated by certain factor(s) secreted by the multinucleated giant cells in the primary culture. In order to test this hypothesis, the effect of primary-culture-conditioned medium on the expression of MMP-9 by late-passaged mononuclear stromal cells was examined. Adding conditioned medium from the primary GCT culture to the late-passaged stromal cells induced MMP-9, as evidenced by the presence of lytic bands at Mr 92000 and 72000 on a gelatin zymogram. These enzyme activities were inhibited by EDTA, a well-known inhibitor of the MMPs. We confirmed these results by Western blotting using specific antibodies and RT-PCR for MMP-2 and MMP-9. Immunofluorescence studies with specific antibodies to MMP-9 further confirmed its expression by the passaged stromal cells cultured in the primary-culture-conditioned medium. The data indicate that MMP-2 and MMP-9 are produced by the mononuclear stromal cells when cultured in GCT primary-culture-conditioned medium. This suggests that multinucleated giant cells in primary cultures secrete a factor(s) that stimulates stromal cells to produce MMP-9, which, in turn, may contribute to the aggressive behavior of GCT.     

A t(12;17) in an extraorbital giant cell angiofibroma

We report a case of a 43-year-old male who presented with a large soft-tissue neck mass 7 years ago. A diagnosis of giant cell angiofibroma (GCA) was made on the basis of light microscopy and immunohistochemical studies. Chromosome analysis showed a male karyotype with t(12;17)(q15;q23),del(18)(q21) in all 20 cells analyzed. This cytogenetic abnormality in GCA is different from the t(17;22)(q22;q13) found in related lesions, such as giant cell fibroblastoma and solitary fibrous tumor, none of which has a specific chromosomal abnormality. Our case is the second case of GCA with chromosomal aberrations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of GCA with t(12;17) occurring as an extra-orbital mass.     

Transforming growth factor alpha and CD68 immunoreactivity in giant cell tumours of bone: A study on the nature of stromal and giant cells,and their interrelations

To clarify the nature of neoplastic cells, 17 giant cell tumours of bone were studied histologically and immunohisto-chemically. L1 antigen and S-100 protein were not detected in the tumour giant cells and stromal cells, although present in non-neoplastic macrophages. The giant cells in all the lesions, some stromal cells, and osteoclasts in the normal bone showed CD68 and transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα) immunoreactivity. Fibrohistiocytic antigen, factor XIIIa, was expressed in large numbers of stromal cells in all lesions. Some stromal cells expressed α-smooth muscle actin and osteocalcin. These immunohistochemical results suggested that the stromal cells of giant cell tumours of bone showed histiocytic and occasional myofibroblastic and osteoblastic differentiation. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen was demonstrated in the nuclei of the stromal cells only, indicating that these were the sole proliferating elements. TGFα produced by the giant cells and some stromal cells may play a role as a mediator for the attraction and/or proliferation of the precursor cells, and may suppress the activity of osteoblastic stromal cells, resulting in restricted bone formation in giant cell tumours.     

Massive endoprostheses for giant cell tumours of the distal femur: A 12-year follow-up

We performed a retrospective analysis of twenty-five consecutive massive articulating endoprostheses that were inserted at our unit during the management of patients with Giant Cell Tumours of their distal femur. Fifteen of these implants were fixed hinge devices and ten were rotating hinge devices with HA collars (since 1993). None of these cases were revised for sepsis. There had been no cases of recurrent disease or amputation. The mean follow-up was 12 years (range = 5-18 years). The average age at time of insertion was 37 years. Young patients with fixed hinged devices developed a high incidence (33%) of aseptic loosening. They also had a significant rate of re-bushing. Results of the rotating hinge prosthesis with HA collar were much more promising. Functional scores were good after a period of 12 years despite the young age group.