title: GLI gene expression in bone and soft tissue sarcomas of adult patients correlates with tumor grade.
abstract: The GLI gene encodes a transcription factor harboring five zinc finger motifs that bind to DNA in a sequence-specific manner. The gene was originally identified because of its amplification in a human glioblastoma, and previous studies have shown it to be amplified in a significant proportion of mesenchymal tumors, such as childhood sarcomas. Here we evaluate GLI gene expression in bone and soft tissue sarcomas of adult patients. Samples from 40 patients (37 sarcomas and 3 benign mesenchymal tumors) and samples of 15 normal mesenchymal tissues were examined for GLI gene amplification and expression by Southern hybridization, reverse transcription-PCR of tissue RNA, and immunohistochemistry, using a new polyclonal GLI antibody developed against an epitope outside of the zinc finger region. In contrast to childhood sarcomas, amplification of the GLI gene was not observed in sarcomas of adult patients. Although GLI gene expression in sarcomas was significantly higher than that in normal mesenchymal tissues (P < 0.0001), the levels were very variable. Attempts to correlate the expression data with different pathophysiological parameters only showed a significant relationship to tumor grade. Based on these data, increased levels of GLI gene expression may be indicative of the aggressiveness of the tumor.
authors.affiliation: Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, and Charité at the Humboldt University of Berlin, Robert-Rössle Hospital, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eder
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Karsten
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Haensch
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Walther
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Schlag
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000235:genetics*; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D000071676:Zinc Finger Protein GLI1
chemical_list: D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000071676:Zinc Finger Protein GLI1