title: Oncocytic glioblastoma: a glioblastoma showing oncocytic changes and increased mitochondrial DNA copy number.
abstract: Ten cases of glioblastomas showing oncocytic changes are described. The tumors showed mononuclear to multinuclear cells and abundant, granular, eosinophilic cytoplasm. The cytoplasm of these same cells was filled by strongly immunoreactive mitochondria. At ultrastructure, numerous mitochondria, some of which were large, were evidenced in the cytoplasm of neoplastic cells. Finally, 9 of 10 of these cases had a significantly high mitochondrial DNA content compared with control tissue (P < .01). It seems that, for these tumors, the designation of oncocytic glioblastoma is appropriate. To the best of our knowledge, oncocytic changes have not been previously reported in such neoplasms. Oncocytic glioblastomas have to be added to the long list of various tumors that can manifest "unexpected" oncocytic changes in different organs. Albeit failing to show statistical significance (log-rank test, P = .597; Wilcoxon test, P = .233), we observed a trend for longer median survival in oncocytic glioblastomas, when compared with "ordinary" glioblastomas (median survival of 16 versus 8.7 months). Thus, it seems that the definition of neoplasms showing oncocytic changes, currently based on classic morphological parameters (ie, histology, ultrastructure, and immunohistochemistry), can be expanded by including the quantitative assessment of mitochondrial DNA content.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Section of Pathology, M. Malpighi, Bellaria Hospital, via Altura 3, 40139 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marucci
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maresca
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caporali
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farnedi
authors.forename: Christine Margaret
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Betts
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morandi
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de Biase
authors.forename: Serenella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cerasoli
authors.forename: Maria Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Foschini
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bonora
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vidone
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perli
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: d'Amati
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gasparre
authors.forename: Agostino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baruzzi
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carelli
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Eusebi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D056915:DNA Copy Number Variations / Q000235:genetics*; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D045643:DNA Repair Enzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007521:Isocitrate Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000648:ultrastructure; D024862:Oxyphil Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D007521:Isocitrate Dehydrogenase; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases; C515491:MGMT protein, human; D045643:DNA Repair Enzymes
keywords: Glioblastoma; Oncocytic features; mtDNA