title: Basic fibroblast growth factor and somatomedin C in human medulloepithelioma.
abstract: Two published cases of medulloepithelioma, a rare malignant pediatric brain tumor composed of a mixture of primitive neuroepithelium and its differentiated neuronal and glial descendants, were examined by immunohistochemical staining for the presence of growth factors. From a panel of antibodies, those identifying basic fibroblast growth factor and insulin-like growth factor I, formerly known as somatomedin C, were strongly immunoreactive within the neuroepithelial cell population of the tumors. Immunoblots of purified recombinant basic fibroblast growth factor and insulin-like growth factor I showed antibody specificity without cross-reactivity. In controls, immunostaining of tissue sections was abolished by preabsorption of primary antibodies with the appropriate growth factor polypeptide antigen. Preabsorption with inappropriate growth factor did not reduce the intensity or alter the distribution of staining. The congruent histologic patterns of immunoreactivities suggest that more than one type of growth factor may be produced by the neuroepithelial component of medulloepithelioma. These growth factors may stimulate proliferation and differentiation of tumor cells by autocrine molecular mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology, Tsukuba Life Science Center, Japan.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Shiurba
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Buffinger
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Urich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001344:Autopsy; D001706:Biopsy; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis*; D008853:Microscopy; D018241:Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive, Peripheral / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007106:Immune Sera; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I