Hypercalcemic-type of small cell carcinoma of the ovary: characterization of a new tumor line.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to develop and characterize a mouse xenograft model for the hypercalcemic-type of small cell carcinoma of the ovary (HTSCCO).


METHODS
Tumor fragments were removed from a patient and cultured in six subsequent generations of nude mice. Histology, comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), electron microscopy and serum calcium levels were investigated.


RESULTS
Morphology remained the same from the primary tumor of the patient through the 6th passage in the mouse. Serum calcium levels were significantly higher in the tumor-bearing mice compared to controls. CGH of the HTSCCO did not show evidence of a close relationship to either a germ cell tumor or an epithelial ovarian cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
Some evidence was provided that the HTSCCO is an inhomogeneous tumor that is neither related to a germ cell tumor nor to an epithelial ovarian cancer, but is a distinct tumor entity.
Walt
H
H
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland. heinrich.walt@fhk.usz.ch
Hornung
R
R
Fink
D
D
Dobler-Girdziunaite
D
D
Stallmach
T
T
Spycher
M A
MA
Maly
F
F
Haller
U
U
Bürki
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D002118:Calcium