Origin of adult male mediastinal germ-cell tumours Journal Article


Authors: Chaganti, R. S. K.; Rodriguez, E.; Mathew, S.
Article Title: Origin of adult male mediastinal germ-cell tumours
Abstract: The origin of primary extragonadal germ-cell tumours, especially mediastinal and pineal germ-cell tumours in adult males remains uncertain, although the predominant view is that they originate in misplaced primordial germ cells retained in extra-gonadal sites, in contrast to gonadal germ-cell tumours which are considered to arise in premeiotic spermatocytes. We hypothesised that if mediastinal germ-cell tumours and gonadal germ-cell tumours were derived from precursor cells in different developmental states and in different cellular environments, non-random genetic changes in the two groups would be significantly different. To test this hypothesis, we compared non-random chromosomal abnormalities in mediastinal germ-cell tumours with those in gonadal germ-cell tumours. Our results show that although the two groups differed in the composition of histological subsets, their non-random chromosomal changes were essentially the same. These data suggest gonadal origin of all germ-cell tumours with occasional migration of precursors early in development to extragonadal sites to become established as primary extragonadal germ-cell tumours. Based on a review of cytogenetic data on carcinoma in situ, primary mediastinal and gonodal germ-cell tumours, embryonal migration of primordial germ-cells, and meiotic behaviour of spermatocytes, a model of origin of all germ-cell tumours in males is suggested. © 1994.
Keywords: adult; controlled study; human tissue; comparative study; neoplasm staging; meiosis; spermatocytes; incidence; cytogenetics; biopsy; models, genetic; chromosome aberrations; mediastinum; germ cell tumor; mediastinal neoplasms; karyotyping; germinoma; chromosome disorders; human; male; priority journal; article; support, u.s. gov't, p.h.s.; neoplasms, gonadal tissue
Journal Title: Lancet
Volume: 343
Issue: 8906
ISSN: 0140-6736
Publisher: Elsevier Science, Inc.  
Date Published: 1994-05-07
Start Page: 1130
End Page: 1132
Language: English
DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(94)90235-6
PROVIDER: scopus
PUBMED: 7910232
DOI/URL:
Notes: Export Date: 14 January 2019 -- Article -- CODEN: LANCA C2 -- Source: Scopus
Altmetric
Citation Impact
BMJ Impact Analytics
MSK Authors
  1. Raju S K Chaganti
    391 Chaganti
  2. Susan Mathew
    26 Mathew