title: A study of adrenocortical tumors in children and adolescents by a comparative genomic hybridization technique.
abstract: Adrenocortical tumors (ACT) are rare neoplasms of the adrenal glands accounting for 0.2% of all pediatric cancers. However, the incidence of ACT in South Brazilian children is 10 to 15 times greater than the worldwide incidence. Comparative genomic hybridization studies have revealed the presence of a high degree of chromosomal instability in ACT. We evaluated 16 ACT, 8 of them carcinomas and 8 adenomas. The presence of changes in DNA copy numbers was determined by comparative genomic hybridization, and the findings were validated by real-time polymerase chain reaction on the basis of IGF-II gene expression. The adenomas showed a mean of 19.7 imbalances per case, with the most frequent gain and loss being 4p15.1-p15.3 and 20p11.2-p13.2, respectively. The carcinomas presented with a mean of 35.5 imbalances per case, with the more frequent gain being 2q14.1-q24.3 and the more frequent losses being 3q21-q26.2, 20q12-qter, and 22q11.2-q13.3. The most frequent imbalances in both adenomas and carcinomas were gains of 1p21-p31.2, 2p12-p21 and loss of 20p11.2-p12. The expression of IGF-II mRNA (11p15.5) was higher in samples that presented with a gain of this region. It has been established that great genomic instability exists in pediatric ACT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Oncology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil. ecuevamateo@yahoo.es
authors.forename: Elvis Cueva
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Mateo
authors.forename: Cecília F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Lorea
authors.forename: Antonio A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Neder
authors.forename: Silvio Tucci
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Junior
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Scrileli
authors.forename: Luiz G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Tone
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000306:Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D055028:Comparative Genomic Hybridization; D056915:DNA Copy Number Variations; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II