title: Genetic imbalances in 67 synovial sarcomas evaluated by comparative genomic hybridization.
abstract: We used comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to evaluate DNA sequence copy number changes in 67 synovial sarcomas of both monophasic and biphasic histological subtypes. Changes (mean among aberrant cases: 4.7 aberrations/tumor; range: 1-17), affecting most often entire chromosomes or chromosome arms, were detected in 37 sarcomas (55%). Gains and losses were distributed equally, but different chromosomes were affected with variable frequencies. The most frequent aberrations, each detected in 9-11 of 67 tumors, were gain of 8q and gain at 12q (12q14-15 and 12q23-qter), loss of 13q21-31, and loss of 3p. Other frequent changes (in 7 or 8 cases) included gains at 2p, 1q24-31, and 17q22-qter, and losses at 3cen-q23 and 10q21. High-level amplifications were seen in 7 cases. A total of 16 regions were detected. Two of them, 8p12-qter and 21q21-qter, seen in 4 and 2 tumors, respectively, were recurrent. No aberrations specific to histological subtype were identified. However, genetic changes in the monophasic tumors were more complex and numerous (mean among aberrant cases: 5.3 aberrations/tumor; range: 1-17) than in the biphasic tumors (mean: 2.5 aberrations/tumor; range: 1-5), and high-level amplifications occurred more frequently. All but 1 of the sarcomas showing high-level amplification were of the monophasic subtype. These findings may reflect differences in the pathogenesis and biological behavior of both histological subtypes of synovial sarcoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szymanska
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Skytting
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Virolainen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akerman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tarkkanen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huuhtanen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Picci
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bacchini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asko-Seljavaara
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Elomaa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knuutila
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000782:Aneuploidy; D002648:Child; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization / Q000379:methods*; D013584:Sarcoma, Synovial / Q000235:genetics*