Comparative genomic hybridisation in malignant deciduoid mesothelioma

Our plain-English summary of Comparative genomic hybridisation in malignant deciduoid mesothelioma, by A. Scattone, A. Pennella, M. Gentile, et al (Journal of Clinical Pathology, 2006).

The study

• Authors: A. Scattone, A. Pennella, M. Gentile, M. Musti, P. Nazzaro, A.L. Buonadonna, A. Marzullo, D. Cavone, L. Pollice, G. Serio
• Journal: Journal of Clinical Pathology
• Published: 2006;59(7):764-9
• Cited by: 11 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Background: Malignant deciduoid mesothelioma is a rare variant of epithelioid mesothelioma. This tumour generally has poor prognosis, and can be asbestos related.

Aim: To identify peculiar genetic changes responsible for critical phases in pathogenesis of malignant deciduoid mesothelioma and their prognostic relevance.

Methods: Comparative genomic hybridisation was carried out in six cases of malignant pleural deciduoid mesothelioma, four sporadic and two familial. All cases were found to be asbestos related. Four patients died during follow-up and the mean survival was 29.5 (SD 14.2, range 12-43) months.

Results: Genetic abnormalities were found in all the tumour tissues, the most frequent being chromosomal gains at 1p, 12q, 17, 8q, 19 and 20 and losses at 13q, 6q and 9p. Survival was found to be longer in those patients who presented a smaller number of losses (< or =2) in the tumorous chromosomes.

Conclusions: Although numerous genetic changes are presented by deciduoid mesotheliomas, certain chromosomal regions are preferentially affected. The clinical outcome for this mesothelioma subtype is predicted by the number of losses.

In plain English

This study used comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH), a laboratory method that detects gains and losses of chromosome material, on tumour biopsies from six Italian patients with malignant deciduoid mesothelioma of the pleura, a rare variant of epithelioid mesothelioma. The patients were three men and three women aged 23 to 74. Asbestos exposure was documented in all six. It was described as occupational in the men and environmental in the women, and fiber types were not reported. Every tumour showed chromosomal abnormalities, an average of 21.3 per tumour. The most frequent were gains at 1p, 12q and 17 (83.3% each) and losses at 13q (66.6%). Losses at 6q appeared only in the familial cases. Four patients died during follow-up, with a mean survival of 29.5 months. Patients whose tumours had two or fewer losses survived more than 3 years, but the authors stated the sample was too small for statistical analysis. The authors concluded that the number of losses predicts outcome. They also concluded that this variant showed no distinctive biological, genetic or clinical differences from conventional epithelioid mesothelioma.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Case series of six patients, with genetic analysis (comparative genomic hybridisation) of tumour biopsy tissue and review of clinical data and survival
• Who was studied: Six patients with pleural malignant deciduoid mesothelioma: three men and three women, mean age 54.2 years (SD 22.3, range 23 to 74). Four were recently diagnosed at the authors' institution (University of Bari, Italy) and two had been reported previously. Two patients, both women, had familial forms of the disease and four had sporadic forms. Study dates were not given.
• Exposure: Asbestos exposure was documented in all six cases through the Apulia Regional Operative Centre of the Italian National Register of Mesotheliomas. It was recognised as occupational in the men and environmental in the women. Fiber types, products and doses were not reported.
• Main results:
  • Chromosomal abnormalities were found in all six tumours. The mean number of aberrations per tumour was 21.3 (SD 8.8, range 11 to 37). The mean number of gains was 18.3 (SD 10.1, range 6 to 36) and the mean number of losses was 3 (SD 1.7, range 1 to 5).
  • The most frequent gains across the six tumours were at 1p (83.3%), 12q (83.3%), 17 (83.3%), 8q (66.6%), 19 (66.6%) and 20 (66.6%).
  • Frequent losses across the six tumours were at 13q (66.6%), 6q (33.3%) and 9p (33.3%).
  • Losses on chromosome 6q were found only in the familial cases.
  • At the time of analysis, four patients had died, with a mean survival of 29.5 months (SD 14.2). Two were alive, with a mean survival of 31 months (SD 9.9).
  • Survival was longer (more than 3 years) in patients whose tumours showed a smaller number of losses (two or fewer). No statistical test was done.
  • The authors reported that the total number of aberrations and the total number of gains per tumour were not associated with outcome. They reported that the total number of losses was associated with outcome, stage (T1 to T2) and Ki-67 labelling index; no statistical results were given.
  • The authors also concluded that the deciduoid variant did not show distinctive biological, genetic and clinical differences compared with conventional epithelioid-type mesothelioma.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that, although deciduoid mesotheliomas show numerous genetic changes, certain chromosomal regions are preferentially affected, and that clinical outcome for this subtype is predicted by the number of losses.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The sample size was insufficient for statistical analysis of the link between the number of losses and survival.
  • The authors stated that analysis in a larger number of cases is needed to confirm their hypothesis.
  • False-positive gains at chromosome 19 have been reported with this technique. The authors kept this region in the analysis but said such gains should be interpreted with caution.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Epithelioid, Prognosis.

Related studies

• Familial pleural mesothelioma with environmental asbestos exposure: losses of DNA sequences by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) — G. Serio, A. Scattone, et al. (2004)
• Genomic changes of chromosomes 8p23.1 and 1q21: Novel mutations in malignant mesothelioma — G. Serio, L. Vimercati, et al. (2018)
• The potential value of comparative genomic hybridization analysis in effusion-and fine needle aspiration cytology — H. Nagel, H.J. Schulten, et al. (2002)
• Severe chromosomal aberrations in pleural mesotheliomas with unusual mesodermal features. Comparative genomic hybridization evidence for a mesothelioma subgroup — M. Krismann, K.M. Müller, et al. (2000)
• Genomic copy number alterations in 33 malignant peritoneal mesothelioma analyzed by comparative genomic hybridization array — P. Chirac, D. Maillet, et al. (2016)
• Patterns of chromosomal imbalances in benign solitary fibrous tumours of the pleura — M. Krismann, H. Adams, et al. (2000)

Browse more research in Journal of Clinical Pathology, or return to medical research.