Clinico-molecular study of dedifferentiation in well-differentiated liposarcoma

Well-differentiated liposarcoma (WD) acquires fully malignant potential when the histological progression named dedifferentiation occurs. This progression is supposed to occur in a time-dependent manner but this is still a debated issue. Clinically, the prediction of dedifferentiation for WD is very important from the therapeutic point of view. To identify genes that are predictive of dedifferentiation and to understand the mechanism of dedifferentiation, we investigated clinical information of 50 cases and studied the gene expression profiles of 36 lipomatous tumors using cDNA microarray. The clinical study showed that the dedifferentiation did not always seem to occur in a time-dependent manner. Interestingly, from the gene expression study, unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis of well-differentiated lesions obtained from dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DD) cases that were indistinguishable from WD pathologically showed a clearly distinct gene expression pattern from WD. Using the pattern-matching program, 1687 genes including 487 known genes were identified, which discriminated WD cases from well-differentiated lipomatous lesions obtained from DD cases. These results suggest that the dedifferentiation may arise from different types of WD that could be distinguished from gene expression profiling but could hardly be classified by the pathological studies.     

CT和MRI鉴定腹膜后间隙脂肪肉瘤与组织病理学特征相关

本研究选取2012年1月至2018年1月在我院治疗的腹膜后间隙脂肪肉瘤患者33例,分析患者术前CT、MRI图像及术后病理结果,旨在探讨不同类型腹膜后间隙脂肪肉瘤病理学及影像学特征。研究结果表明:33例患者中术后病理诊断为高分化脂肪肉瘤19例,去分化脂肪肉瘤7例,黏液性脂肪肉瘤7例;不同病理分型脂肪肉瘤病灶大小比较差异无统计学意义(p>0.05);高分化脂肪肉瘤其CT密度同皮下脂肪,CT值-10～-110 Hu,肿瘤内可见不规则增厚的间隔;去分化脂肪肉瘤部分区域呈脂肪密度(CT值-70～30 Hu),部分区域呈软组织肿块(CT值为30～50 Hu);黏液性脂肪肉瘤CT密度接近水,增强扫描时肿块呈网状、片状、延迟强化,CT值20～40 Hu;高分化脂肪肉瘤MRI信号同皮下脂肪;黏液性脂肪肉瘤MRI呈长T1,长T2信号,与水相似;CT和MRI诊断腹膜后间隙脂肪瘤准确率分别为69.70%和73.33%,差异比较无统计学意义(p>0.05)。本研究得出初步结论,不同病理类型腹膜后间隙脂肪肉瘤的CT、MRI表现有所差异;CT和MRI术前诊断腹膜后间隙脂肪肉瘤准确性相似。     

Fine needle aspiration cytology of a dedifferentiated liposarcoma: report of a case with histologic and immunohistochemical follow-up

BACKGROUND: Dedifferentiation is a histologic progression of a neoplasm from low grade to high grade histology. It occurs in tumors of the retroperitoneum and in those undergoing treatment. This usually occurs in the setting of radiation or chemotherapy or as a spontaneous process over a long period. The features of dedifferentiation can be toward any mesenchymal element of the underlying neoplastic process. CASE: We report the cytologic features of a dedifferentiated liposarcoma arising in a 76-year-old man who had a history of well-differentiated liposarcoma. Papanicolaou- and Diff-Quik-stained smears from a radiologically guided fine needle aspiration biopsy showed a hypercellular sample. The smears showed a mixed population of cells. There were multinucleated, pleomorphic giant cells with abundant cytoplasm, smaller clusters of cells with a high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio and cells with spindled and elongated nuclear features. The follow-up surgical resection specimen showed a dedifferentiated liposarcoma with strong and diffuse immunoreactivity to vimentin, desmin and CD68 in the large, pleomorphic cells; focal and weak immunoreactivity to smooth muscle actin and S-100 in these cells; and strong and focal immunoreactivity to desmin, smooth muscle actin and muscle-specific actin in the spindle cells. This supports the dedifferentiated components of this tumor to be of fibrohistiocytic and leiomyosarcomatous differentiation. CONCLUSION: Dedifferentiation of a well-differentiated liposarcoma should be entertained in the setting of a mass lesion in the retroperitoneum in patients with prior histories of well-differentiated liposarcoma. The radiologic features of a particular neoplastic process can be very helpful in determining the nature of this process.     

Atypical lipomatous tumour/well-differentiated liposarcoma found in the buccal mucosa: A rare case report

Oral liposarcomas are uncommon diseases, the most predominant histopathological subtype being atypical lipomatous tumour/well-differentiated liposarcoma. In regard to its clinical aspects in the oral cavity, it is challenging to confirm a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. In this case report, we present a rare case of atypical lipomatous tumour/well-differentiated liposarcoma in the right cheek of a 77-year-old male patient. Conservative surgery was performed considering the histopathological subtype of the neoplasm. Knowledge of the clinical and histopathological characteristics of this rare disease is essential to maintaining function and aesthetics through conservative treatment in older patients.     

Growth inhibitory effect of quercetin on SW 872 human liposarcoma cells

Adipocytic tumors represent the largest single group of soft tissue tumors. In the present study, we investigated the antiproliferative potential of quercetin in SW 872 human liposarcoma cells. Cell viability was significantly influenced by quercetin treatment in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analyses of SW 872 human liposarcoma cells exposed to quercetin showed that the increase of apoptotic cells was time- and dose-dependent. The percentages of normal cells were decreased and apoptotic cells (including early apoptotic and late apoptotic) were increased with increasing concentrations of quercetin. Quercetin-induced apoptosis in SW 872 human liposarcoma cells was associated with the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)). The apoptosis in SW 872 human liposarcoma cells induced by quercetin was mediated through the activation of caspase-3, Bax, and Bak and then cleavage of PARP and downregulation of Bcl-2. These results demonstrate that quercetin may prevent atypical lipomatous tumors/well-differentiated liposarcomas from mature adipocytic proliferation, which may contribute to its antiproliferative function.     

Establishment and characterization of a human liposarcoma cell line (HTLS) from the retroperitoneal liposarcoma

A cell line designated HTLS was established from the retroperitoneal liposarcoma. The HTLS line showed stable proliferation without interruption for 2 years and subcultivated over 35 times. The cells were elongated fibrous and spindle in shape, and neoplastic and pleomorphic features. The multinucleated giant cells with fine cytoplasm were seen. The cells proliferated slowly and the population doubling time was about 90 hours. The chromosome number showed a wide distribution of aneuploidy, the mode was hyperdiploid range (51-52), and many marker chromosomes were observed. The cells were transplantable into the submucosa of immunesuppressed hamster's cheek pouch and produced liposarcoma, while were not transplantable into subcutis of nude mice     

Dedifferentiated liposarcoma of the gallbladder: first reported case

Background

Liposarcoma of the gallbladder is an extremely rare sarcoma, with only five cases reported in the literature according to our knowledge.

Case presentation

A 71-year-old woman was referred to the Surgical Oncology Division of Napoleão Laureano Hospital (João Pessoa, PB, Brazil) due to a solid mass at the right side of the abdomen and fever, with no signs of jaundice. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT) evidenced an extensive gallbladder lobular formation adhered to the inferior border of the right hepatic lobe and cholelithiasis. The CT report suggested gallbladder liposarcoma. A cholecystectomy associated with resection of segments IV-B and V of the liver were performed. Intraoperative frozen sections were compatible with gallbladder sarcoma. Anatomopathological examination and immunohistochemistry confirmed dedifferentiated liposarcoma with foci of heterologous leiomyosarcomatous differentiation and undifferentiated fusocellular areas of high histological grade.

Conclusion

This is the first case of dedifferentiated liposarcoma of the gallbladder to be reported.

     

A human liposarcoma cell line

Summary The properties of a new cell line derived from a human retroperitoneal liposarcoma are described. The cells do not grow at low cell concentrations and contain in their cytoplasm large numbers of droplets that stain with Oil Red O. No indication of the presence of endogenous virus particles could be found. The mean chromosome number per cell is 36, with several constant markers, the most conspicuous of which is a large submetacentric marker due to a translocation between chromosomes 4 and 11, which is present in every cell. The liposarcoma cells show an enhanced uptake of [¹⁴C]acetate compared to normal human fibroblasts. This work was supported by funds from the Poliomyelitis Research Foundation, the National Cancer Association of South Africa, and the State health Department. The authors thank Mrs. D. Bower and Mrs. M. Orchard for their excellent technical assistance.     

PML down‐regulation in soft tissue sarcomas

To date, little is known concerning the promyelocytic leukemia gene (PML) status in tumors of different origin, and its expression has never been evaluated in soft tissue sarcoma. The aim of the present study is focused on the identification of differences in terms of PML protein expression between different types of soft tissue sarcoma and the corresponding normal surrounding tissue. PML protein expression has been assessed by immunohistochemistry in six different histologic types of soft tissue sarcoma (synovial sarcoma, myofibroblastic sarcoma, angiosarcoma, liposarcoma, pleomorphic sarcoma, and leiomyosarcoma) and in the corresponding normal surrounding tissue. PML resulted significantly down‐regulated in synovial sarcoma and in myofibroblastic sarcoma specimens. Also in angiosarcoma samples a significative difference in PML expression in comparison with normal specimens has been detected. Interestingly PML protein detection showed a different pattern of expression in the three liposarcoma histology types compared with corresponding nontumoral tissues. In particular PML protein resulted significantly down‐regulated in myxoid liposarcoma and in dedifferentiated liposarcoma. On the contrary no statistically significant difference was observed in pleomorphic liposarcoma compared to normal tissue specimens. Further investigations are needed to confirm these data and to assess the possible value of PML expression as a prognostic factor in these extremely aggressive diseases. J. Cell. Physiol. 224: 644–648, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Spontaneous retroperitoneal liposarcoma in a free‐ranging juvenile golden‐headed lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas)

Malignant adipocytic neoplasia is rare among nonhuman primates. We report the gross and microscopic features of a retroperitoneal liposarcoma with myxofibrosarcoma‐like dedifferentiation in a free‐ranging juvenile golden‐headed lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas). To our knowledge, this is the first report of such tumor subtype in New World primates.     

Cancer‐associated neochromosomes: a novel mechanism of oncogenesis

Malignant tumours are often characterised by significant rearrangement of the genome. This may be visible in the form of a deranged karyotype with both loss and gain of DNA sequences extending from chromosomal regions to whole chromosomes. In several tumour types, however, gross genomic derangements are minimal, and tumour cells contain one or more additional (supernumerary) chromosomes that may be unrecognisable in terms of a single origin. In this review we term such chromosomes cancer‐associated neochromosomes (CaNCs). In the absence of other identified genomic abnormalities, and because the CaNC is a common feature of the cancer type, it is hypothesised that the genetic alterations required for cell transformation are contained within its structure. In this review, we discuss the potential impact of modern genomic technologies on our understanding of the nature and causes of CaNC formation, which is central to several cancer types, exemplified here by well‐differentiated liposarcoma.     

Fine needle aspiration cytology of well-differentiated liposarcoma. A report of two cases

BACKGROUND: Well-differentiated liposarcoma is difficult to diagnose on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) smears and may create considerable diagnostic problems. CASES: Males aged 60 and 45 years presented with a swelling in the groin and retroperitoneal region, respectively. FNAC showed large cells with multilobulated nuclei and mature-looking fat tissue. A soft tissue tumor with bizarre cells was diagnosed cytologically in case 1 and liposarcoma in case 2. Histologically, both cases were diagnosed as well-differentiated sclerosing liposarcoma. CONCLUSION: The cytologic diagnosis of well-differentiated liposarcoma should be done with caution, and the sites should be taken into consideration. Deep-seated tumors with large, bizarre, giant cells should have wide excision as they recur more frequently.     

Pazopanib,a Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor,Suppresses Tumor Growth through Angiogenesis in Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma Xenograft Models

INTRODUCTION: The rarity of dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) and the lack of experimental DDLPS models limit the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Pazopanib (PAZ) is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is approved for the treatment of non-adipocytic advanced soft tissue sarcoma. The activity of this agent has not yet been properly explored in preclinical liposarcoma models nor in a randomized phase Ш clinical trial in this entity. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether PAZ had antitumor activity in DDLPS models in vivo. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We established two patient-derived DDLPS xenograft models (UZLX-STS3 and UZLX-STS5) through implantation of tumor material from sarcoma patients in athymic nude NMRI mice. An animal model of the SW872 liposarcoma cell line was also used. To investigate the efficacy of PAZ in vivo, mice bearing tumors were treated for 2 weeks with sterile water, doxorubicin (1.2 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, twice per week), PAZ [40 mg/kg, orally (p.o.), twice per day], or PAZ plus doxorubicin (same schedules as for single treatments). RESULTS: Patient-derived xenografts retained the histologic and molecular features of DDLPS. PAZ significantly delayed tumor growth by decreasing proliferation and inhibited angiogenesis in all models tested. Combining the angiogenesis inhibitor with an anthracycline did not show superior efficacy. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that PAZ has potential antitumor activity in DDLPS primarily through antiangiogenic effects and therefore should be explored in clinical trials.     

Synergistic Effects of Targeted PI3K Signaling Inhibition and Chemotherapy in Liposarcoma

While liposarcoma is the second most common soft tissue malignant tumor, the molecular pathogenesis in this malignancy is poorly understood. Our goal was therefore to expand the understanding of molecular mechanisms that drive liposarcoma and identify therapeutically-susceptible genetic alterations. We studied a cohort of high-grade liposarcomas and benign lipomas across multiple disease sites, as well as two liposarcoma cell lines, using multiplexed mutational analysis. Nucleic acids extracted from diagnostic patient tissue were simultaneously interrogated for 150 common mutations across 15 essential cancer genes using a clinically-validated platform for cancer genotyping. Western blot analysis was implemented to detect activation of downstream pathways. Liposarcoma cell lines were used to determine the effects of PI3K targeted drug treatment with or without chemotherapy. We identified mutations in the PIK3CA gene in 4 of 18 human liposarcoma patients (22%). No PIK3CA mutations were identified in benign lipomas. Western blot analysis confirmed downstream activation of AKT in both PIK3CA mutant and non-mutant liposarcoma samples. PI-103, a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, effectively inhibited the activation of the PI3K/AKT in liposarcoma cell lines and induced apoptosis. Importantly, combination with PI-103 treatment strongly synergized the growth-inhibitory effects of the chemotherapy drugs doxorubicin and cisplatin in liposarcoma cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway is an important cancer mechanism in liposarcoma. Targeting the PI3K/AKT/pathway with small molecule inhibitors in combination with chemotherapy could be exploited as a novel strategy in the treatment of liposarcoma.     

Effects of adeno-associated virus (AAV) of transforming growth factors β1 and β3 (TGFβ1,3) on promoting synthesis of glycosaminoglycan and collagen type Ⅱ of dedifferentiated nucleus pulposus (NP) cells

The effects of AAV-TGFβ1 and AAV-TGFβ3 on promoting synthesis of glycosaminoglycan and collagen type Ⅱ of dedifferentiated rabbit lumbar disc NP cells were studied in this work. The rabbit lumbar disc NP cells were isolated and cultured. The earlier and later dedifferentiated NP cells were established by subculture. The AAV transfection efficiency to dedifferentiated NP cells was analyzed with AAV-EGFP in vitro. After dedifferentiated NP cells were transfected by AAV-TGFβ1 or AAV-TGFβ3, their biological effects on promoting synthesis of glycosaminoglycan or collagen type Ⅱ were detected and compared by the methods of 35S incorporation or immunoblotting. The experimental results showed that AAV could transfect efficiently the earlier dedifferentiated NP cells, but its transfection rate was shown to be at a low level to the later dedifferentiated NP cells. Both AAV-TGFβ1 and AAV-TGFβ3 could promote the earlier dedifferentiated NP cells to synthesize glycosaminoglycan and collagen type Ⅱ, and the effect of AAV-TGFβ1 was better than that of AAV-TGFβ3. For the later dedifferentiated NP cells, the AAV-TGFβ3 could promote their synthesis, but AAV-TGFβ1 could slightly inhibit their synthesis. Therefore, AAV-TGFβ1 and AAV-TGFβ3 could be used for the earlier dedifferentiated NP cells, and the TGFβ3 could be used as the objective gene for the later dedifferentiated NP cells.     

A protein–protein interaction of stress-responsive myosin VI endowed to inhibit neural progenitor self-replication with RNA binding protein, TLS, in murine hippocampus

We have shown preferential expression of both mRNA and corresponding protein for myosin VI (Myo6) in the murine hippocampus within 24 h after the extreme traumatic experience, water-immersion restraint stress (WIRS), prior to a drastic decrease in neural progenitor proliferation in the dentate gyrus. Myosin (Myo6) protein levels were significantly increased in hippocampus within 24 h after flashback experience in mice previously exposed to WIRS. Myo6 protein was ubiquitously distributed in discrete mouse brain regions with exceptionally high expression in olfactory bulb, whereas Myo6 protein was expressed in cultured rat astroglia and neurons, in addition to Myo6 mRNA expression by cultured neural progenitors. In mouse embryonal carcinoma P19 cells endowed to proliferate and differentiate, Myo6 protein was expressed in line with astroglial marker protein expression. Transient over-expression of Myo6 induced a significant decrease in the size of clustered aggregates as an index of self-replication in P19 cells. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed the interaction between Myo6 and the RNA-binding protein, translocated in liposarcoma (TLS), while TLS was predominantly expressed by neurons in the cortex, striatum, cerebellum, and hippocampus. These results suggest that Myo6 may play a pivotal role in the mechanism underlying the suppressed adult neurogenesis after traumatic stress in association with TLS.     

PML expression in soft tissue sarcoma: prognostic and predictive value in alkylating agents/antracycline-based first line therapy

Soft tissue sarcomas are aggressive tumors representing <1% of all adult neoplasms. Aim of our study was to evaluate promyelocytic leukemia gene expression value as prognostic factor and as a factor predicting response to alkylating agents/antracycline-based first line therapy. One hundred eleven patients affected by locally advanced and metastatic soft tissue sarcoma were selected. PML expression was evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis in pathological samples and in the corresponding normal tissue from each case. PML immunohistochemical results were correlated with prognosis and with radiological response to alkylating agents/antracycline-based first line therapy. PML expression was significantly reduced in synovial sarcomas (P < 0.0001), in myofibroblastic sarcomas (P < 0.0001), angiosarcomas (P < 0.0001), in leiomyosarcomas (P = 0.003), in mixoid liposarcomas (P < 0.0001), and in dedifferentiated liposarcomas (P < 0.0001). No significant difference was found for pleomorphic sarcoma [31.8 (95% CI: 16.7-41.0); P = 0.21]. and pleomorphic liposarcomas (P = 0.51). Loss of PML expression was found to be statistically correlated with TTP (P < 0.0001), median duration of response (P = 0.007), and OS (P = 0.02). No correlation was observed between PML expression and treatment efficacy. PML IHC expression is down-regulated in synovial sarcomas, myofibroblastic sarcomas, angiosarcomas, liposarcoma, and leiomyosarcomas and its expression correlated with prognosis.