Project description:Neuroblastoma (NB) is an aggressive tumor that affects both infants and children. The disease outcome is greatly influenced by age of patient, stage, chromosome copy number aberrations (CNAs) and gene expression abnormalities. We analyzed, by microarray technology, genome and transcriptome of 3 groups of tumors of patients with metastatic disease: G1, stage 4S and MYCN single copy; G2, stage 4 younger than 18 months of age, MYCN single copy with no disease progression and G3, stage 4, older than 19 months, with unfavorable outcome. We found an accumulation of structural copy number aberrations (CNAs) in G3 whereas G1 tumors had mostly numerical (N) CNAs and G2 showed an intermediate behavior. Pair wise comparisons demonstrated that the average of N CNAs significantly decreased from G1 to G2 to G3 (9.6 G1 < 7.2 G2 < 3.6 G3); in contrast S CNAs significantly increased in G3 (0.7 G1 < 3.7 G2 < 7.0 G3). Interestingly, we observed several intra-chromosomal rearrangements in G3 tumors on chromosomes not usually involved in NB. Excluding MYCN amplified tumors by G3 we found a high frequency of S CNAs in this group. Gene expression analysis showed a deregulation of downstream genes of Ras and Rho signaling pathway among the 3 groups. It has been also observed a progressive switch off of development and adhesion genes and a switch on of cell cycle genes from G1 to G2 to G3. Moreover, the telemorase genes were significantly expressed in G3 with respect to remaining groups. Present data show an accumulation of S CNAs from stage 4S to 4. The deregulation of genes Rho/Ras pathway may explain the increase of tumor aggressiveness from G1 to G2 to G3. The increase of cell cycle and telomerase genes expression associated with G3 would provide unlimited replicative potential for these tumors and may be responsible for accumulation of S CNAs. Finally, we can argue that accumulation of structural aberrations and gene deregulation is age-dependent and it is associated with a more aggressive tumor phenotype. We analyzed 133 samples of metastatic neuroblastoma from patients divided into three groups: G1 49 patients stage 4S and MYCN single copy; G2 37 patients stage 4 younger than 18 months of age at diagnosis, MYCN single copy with no disease progression; G3 47 patients stage 4 older than 19 months of age at diagnosis, with unfavorable outcome.

Project description:The aim of the study was to address the concept of field cancerization in oral cancer. The presence of genomic aberrations, indicative of chromosomal instability (CIN), in oral distant fields (ODFs) of visually normal and non-dysplastic mucosa at the mirror image from concomitant oral potentially malignant lesions (OPMLs) was investigated. This pilot study comprised 16 OPMLs (8 without dysplasia, nd-OPMLs; 8 with dysplasia, d-OPMLs) and 16 ODFs. DNA diploid (DNA Index, DI=1) and aneuploid (DIM-bM-^IM- 1) sublines were detected by high resolution DNA-flow cytometry (FCM) at (hr DNA-FCM) using DAPI stained nuclei suspensions. Nuclei with different DIs were FCM-sorted in order to enrich the epithelial component and to obtain genomic DNA for high resolution oligonucleotide array-Comparative Genomic Hybridization (a-CGH) analysis to provide a genome-wide measurement of DNA copy number aberrations (CNAs). The frequencies of DNA aneuploidy in ODFs and OPMLs were 6.2% and 43.8%, respectively (p=0.037). ODFs and nd-OPMLs were all near-diploid (DIM-bM-^IM- 1 and DIM-bM-^IM-$1.4), while d-OPMLs were also high-aneuploid (DI>1.4). CNA averages were 2.3 in ODFs (1.5 for nd-OPMLs and 3.1 for d-OPMLs), and 7.325 in OPMLs (3.0 in nd-OPMLs; 11.6 in d-OPMLs). CNAs were present in the DNA diploid sublines and often the same CNAs were observed in both ODFs and corresponding OPMLs DNA aneuploid sublines and CNAs in the present series of 16 ODFs are likely to represent early events of the natural history of oral carcinogenesis and to indicate an early onset of the field effect cancerization. Moreover, gains within 20q13.33-qter, 7p22.2-pter and 16p13.3-pter chromosomal regions in ODFs and in the relative OPMLs suggest that specific genes localized in these regions (RTEL1, MAD1L1 and TEL2) might contribute to the ODF/d-OPML transition. We analyzed: 8 samples of oral potentially malignant lesions with dysplasia, 8 samples of oral potentially malignant lesions without dysplasia and for each patient a corresponding oral distant field of visually normal mucosa.

Project description:The mucosae of the oral cavity are different at the histological level but are all exposed to common genotoxic agents. As a result of this exposure, changes in the mucosal epithelia develop giving rise to Oral Potentially Malignant Lesions (OPMLs), which with time may in turn progress to Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas (OSCCs). Therefore, much effort should be devoted to identify features able to predict the likeliness of progression associated with an OPML. Such features may be helpful in assisting the clinician to establish both appropriate therapies and follow-up schedules. Here, we report a pilot study that compared the anatomical subsites of OPMLs development with occurrence of DNA aneuploidy and chromosomal copy number aberrations (CNAs). Multiple samples from histologically diagnosed OPMLs were processed for high resolution DNA flow cytometry (hr DNA-FCM) in order to determine the relative DNA content expressed by the DNA index (DI). Additionally, array-Comparative Genomic Hybridization (a-CGH) analysis was performed on FCM-sorted nuclei subpopulations based on DI values. Tongue OPMLs were more frequently associated with DNA aneuploidy and CNAs than OPMLs arising from all the other mucosal subsites. We suggest that the follow-up and the management of the patients with tongue OPMLs should receive a distinctive special attention. Clearly, this conclusion should be validated in a prospective clinical study. exposed to common genotoxic agents. As a result of this exposure, changes in the mucosal epithelia develop giving rise to Oral Potentially Malignant Lesions (OPMLs), which with time may in turn progress to Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas (OSCCs). Therefore, much effort should be devoted to identify features able to predict the likeliness of progression associated with an OPML. Such features may be helpful in assisting the clinician to establish both appropriate therapies and follow-up schedules. Here, we report a pilot study that compared the anatomical subsites of OPMLs development with occurrence of DNA aneuploidy and chromosomal copy number aberrations (CNAs). Multiple samples from histologically diagnosed OPMLs were processed for high resolution DNA flow cytometry (hr DNA-FCM) in order to determine the relative DNA content expressed by the DNA index (DI). Additionally, array-Comparative Genomic Hybridization (a-CGH) analysis was performed on FCM-sorted nuclei subpopulations based on DI values. Tongue OPMLs were more frequently associated with DNA aneuploidy and CNAs than OPMLs arising from all the other mucosal subsites. We suggest that the follow-up and the management of the patients with tongue OPMLs should receive a distinctive special attention. Clearly, this conclusion should be validated in a prospective clinical study. We analyzed: 19 samples (4 aneuploid and 15 diploid components) deriving from oral potentially malignant lesions without dysplasia obtained of 16 patients; 14 samples (2 aneuploid and 12 diploid components) deriving from oral potentially malignant lesions with dysplasia obtained from 11 patients (two patients had multiple dysplastic lesions); 2 samples from visually normal mucosa in the near field obtained from two patients with dysplastic lesions. All the aneuploid samples had a purity of at least 90%.

Project description:Less than 30% of children with high-risk (HR) metastatic neuroblastoma (NB) show a long survival (Pearson 2000). In order to identify novel molecular prognostic markers useful to better predict patientsM-bM-^@M-^Y relapse risk estimation, we performed genome- and/or transcriptome-wide analyses of 129 stage 4 HR-NBs. This is the largest study for this NB subtype. Children older than 1 year of age at diagnosis were categorized as M-bM-^@M-^\short-survivorsM-bM-^@M-^] (dead of disease within 5 years from diagnosis) and M-bM-^@M-^\long-survivorsM-bM-^@M-^] (alive with an overall survival time > 5 years). A significant correlation of patient survival with the presence of small number of segmental copy number aberrations (CNA < 3) was observed. Thus, within the group of stage 4 HR-NBs, we identified a specific subgroup of patients (those with highest number of CNA) that have a higher risk of progression/recurrence. The complex genomic pattern is an independent prognostic marker, since MYCN oncogene amplification only affects the predictive value of single CNA (i.e., 1p loss, 17q gain). Integrative analysis of genomic and expression signatures demonstrated that fatal outcome is associated with loss of cell cycle control and with progression of tumor due to deregulation of Rho GTPase signaling and genes related to cell motility. Tumors with MYCN amplification showed a lower chromosome instability compared to MYCN-single copy NBs (P=0.0008), dominated by 17q gain and 1p loss. Moreover, our results suggest that the MYCN amplification mainly drives the disruption of neuronal differentiation and the reduction of cell adhesion process involved in tumor invasion and metastasis. For array-CGH profiling, we analyzed 91 samples of metastatic neuroblastomas. All patients were classified as stage 4 and they were older than 1 year of age at time of diagnosis. Regarding the clinical course, 46 were short-survivors (dead of disease within 60 months from diagnosis. Deaths due to toxicity were censored) and 45 were long-survivors (alive with an overall survival time > 60 months). This submission consists of 22 new samples and 69 other cases previously deposited in GEO under Series accessions GSE14109 and GSE25771.

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Hox-C9 activates the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis and is associated with spontaneous regression in neuroblastoma

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