Dual lineage of astrocytomas.
Experimental observations suggest that type 1 and type 2 astrocytes have distinct lineages distinguished, respectively, by the absence or presence of the A2B5 antigen. To investigate the hypothesis that the strikingly different biological behaviors of low-grade and high-grade astrocytomas might be related to cell lineage, 38 astrocytomas (grades I through IV), were examined for the presence of the A2B5 antigen, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and galactocerebroside (GC), a marker for oligodendrocytes. Twenty-nine of the tumors (76%) were composed of moderate or high densities of GFAP+ and unlabeled cells, and were devoid of A2B5+ and GC+ neoplastic cells. Only four tumors had high densities (75% to 100%) of A2B5+ cells, three of which were grade I tumors; two tumors, also Grade I, contained moderate densities (20% to 25%) of GC+ cells that had cytologic features of astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma. The findings suggest that most cerebral astrocytomas lack the A2B5 antigen and thus may represent neoplasia along the type 1 astrocyte lineage. In contrast, A2B5+ lineage among astrocytomas, ie, neoplasia with differentiation toward type 2 astrocytes and GC+ oligodendrocytes, is less common and may be correlated with prognostically favorable histopathologic features.
Bishop
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Charles S. Kubik Laboratory of Neuropathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114.
de la Monte
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SM
D000328:Adult; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000032:analysis / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005699:Galactosylceramides / Q000032:analysis; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000032:analysis / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D005699:Galactosylceramides; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; C002454:galactocerebroside