title: Can HMGI-C be used as an aid with MDM2 and CDK4 to differentiate liposarcoma subtypes from their mimics?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Liposarcoma represents the most common soft tissue tumors in adults. The tumors are characterized by a high morphological diversity and a great variation in biological behavior. Atypical lipomatous tumors represent a distinctive subset of mesenchymal neoplasms featuring mature adipocytic differentiation. Histologically, atypical lipomatous tumor might be easily confused with lipoma. Conversely, dedifferentiated liposarcoma may be confused with other spindle cell/pleomorphic undifferentiated tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of liposarcomas was analyzed by investigating the MDM2, CDK4, and HMGI-C proteins. The study was extended to a group of lipomas and non-lipomatous sarcomas, to determine whether the immunohistochemical investigation of these proteins might play any diagnostic role.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our data suggest that ordinary lipomas may form a molecular genetic and morphological continuum with atypical lipomatous tumor. At one end of the spectrum are lipomas characterized by HMGI-C activation and at the other end are atypical lipomatous tumors with overrepresentation of the HMGI-C, CDK4, or MDM2 proteins. These findings not only provide insights into the molecular pathogenesis of lipomatous tumors, but also indicate that the immunohistochemical analysis of HMGI-C, CDK4, or MDM2 may help to increase diagnostic accuracy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HMGI-C is a useful adjunct in the diagnosis of atypical lipomatous tumor and dedifferentiated liposarcoma and differentiates them from their mimics. Therefore, in our experience, HMGI-C expression alone is of rather limited value in the differential diagnosis of liposarcoma subtypes.
authors.affiliation: hanan_alshenawy@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alshenawy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051358:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D025743:HMGA2 Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008067:Lipoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D008080:Liposarcoma / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D025743:HMGA2 Protein; C497206:MDM2 protein, human; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2; C495900:CDK4 protein, human; D051358:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4