title: Uniform lineage of oligodendrogliomas.
abstract: Experimental observations provide evidence that galactocerebroside-containing (GC+) oligodendrocytes and glial fibrillary acidic protein-containing (GFAP+) type 2 astrocytes are derived from A2B5+ progenitor cells. Because the cytomorphologic features of oligodendrogliomas resemble those of non-neoplastic oligodendrocytes, it was speculated that neoplastic oligodendroglial cells also have A2B5+ lineage. This hypothesis was investigated by immunostaining histopathologic sections with monoclonal antibodies to GC, A2B5, and GFAP. In 28 tumors, ubiquitous immunolabeling of neoplastic cells with anti-GC and anti-A2B5 was observed. In addition, GFAP+/A2B5+ astrocytes were present in most mixed glial tumors. The findings suggest that oligodendrogliomas, whether or not they contain foci of astrocytoma, are uniformly derived from A2B5+ progenitor cells.
authors.affiliation: Charles S. Kubik Laboratory of Neuropathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: de la Monte
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000145:classification; D005699:Galactosylceramides / Q000032:analysis; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009837:Oligodendroglioma / Q000032:analysis / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D005699:Galactosylceramides; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; C002454:galactocerebroside