A translocation involving the placental growth factor gene is identified in an epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.
Hemangioendothelioma is a relatively rare vascular tumor that is considered a low- to intermediate-grade malignant neoplasm. Cytogenetic reports of hemangioendothelioma are rare. Two reports with translocations involving chromosomes 1 and 3 have been described. Here we report a case of an epithelioid hemangioendothelioma arising in the foot of a 56-year-old female, with a 46,XX,-6,t(10;14)(p13;q24),+r. The regions in 10p13 and 14q24 encompass genes that participate in growth regulation. One of the genes at 14q24 encodes for placental growth factor [PlGF, also called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-related protein]. Placental growth factor is a member of the VEGF growth factor family. Placenta growth factor binds only to VEGF receptor-1 (FLT-1). It has been suggested that PlGF may modulate VEGF-induced angiogenesis by the formation of PlGF/VEGF heterodimers in cells producing both factors. It has been postulated that PlGF is involved in intra- and intermolecular cross-talk between VEGF receptor-1 (FLT) and receptor-2 (FLK-1/KDR). Since expression of VEGF and its receptor, FLK-1, is seen in several cases of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma and plasma VEGF level is also used to follow-up this tumor, we performed immunohistochemical analysis for PlGF and VEGF in our case. The strong positivity for both PlGF and VEGF observed in our case implies that the t(10;14)(p13;q24) most likely involves PlGF, which may be one of the genes driving oncogenesis in these tumors.
He
Mai
M
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/New Jersey Medical School, 150 Bergen Street, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
Das
Kasturi
K
Blacksin
Marcia
M
Benevenia
Joseph
J
Hameed
Meera
M
D002879:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 10 / Q000235:genetics; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14 / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018323:Hemangioendothelioma, Epithelioid / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011859:Radiography; D014178:Translocation, Genetic; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D019043:Vascular Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor