Assessing genetic heterogeneity of renal cell tumors.
Renal cell tumors display a highly variable morphology which is also reflected at the genomic level. Such heterogeneity was at first monitored by cytogenetic means (numerical and structural chromosomal aberrations); in the meantime, more refined molecular techniques allow the assessment of DNA losses or gains in metaphase chromosomes or tissue sections. Moreover, genomic instability can be monitored using microsatellite probes. All these methods document specific characteristics of certain renal cell tumor types, e.g. telomeric associations in chromophobe carcinomas or oncocytomas, typical losses in 3p in clear cell carcinomas or trisomy 7 in renal cell adenomas and carcinomas. Next to examples demonstrating these alterations the Heidelberg classification of renal cell tumors that is based on genomic observations is discussed.
Mirghomizadeh
F
F
Institute of Anthropology and Human Genetics, University of Tübingen, Germany.
Kupka
S
S
Blin
N
N
D001706:Biopsy; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D017353:Gene Deletion; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D009154:Mutation; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D014314:Trisomy
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm