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Erschienen in:
01.08.2011 | Original Paper
Genetic profile of adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACC) with high-grade transformation versus solid type
Erschienen in: Cellular Oncology | Ausgabe 4/2011
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Background
ACC can occasionally undergo dedifferentiation also referred to as high-grade transformation (ACC-HGT). However, ACC-HGT can also undergo transformation to adenocarcinomas which are not poorly differentiated. ACC-HGT is generally considered to be an aggressive variant of ACC, even more than solid ACC. This study was aimed to describe the genetic changes of ACC-HGT in relation to clinico-pathological features, and to compare results to solid ACC.
Methods
Genome wide DNA copy number changes were analyzed by microarray CGH in ACC-HGT, four with transformation into moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (MDA) and two into poorly differentiated carcinoma (PDC), and five solid ACC. In addition, Ki67 index and p53 immunopositivity was assessed.
Results
ACC-HGT carried fewer copy number changes compared to solid ACC. Two ACC-HGT cases harboured a breakpoint at 6q23, near the cMYB oncogene. The complexity of the genomic profile concurred with the clinical course of the patient. Among the ACC-HGT, p53 positivity significantly increased from the conventional to the transformed (both MDA and PDC) component.
Conclusion
ACC-HGT may not necessarily reflect a more advanced stage of tumor progression, but rather a transformation to another histological form in which the poorly differentiated forms (PDC) presents a genetic complexity similar to the solid ACC.