[Molecular cytogenetics of bone tumors]

To study alterations of molecular cytogenetics of bone tumor serially.

Chromosomal analysis, immunohistochemistry, molecular hybridization, nested-PCR/SSCP, DNA sequence analysis, and gene transfection techniques were used to investigate the common bone tumors.

Chromosomal aberrations were found in 50 cases of aggressive bone tumors, with a chromosome number aberration rate of 86.96% and a structure aberration rate of 93.94%. However, there were differences among different kinds of bone tumors. The incidence of chromosomal instability in 53 patients with bone tumors was higher than that in normal controls. Meanwhile, the fragile sites of chromosomes of the patients were closely correlated with the high nonrandom chromosome breakpoints of tumor cells and related oncogene loci. The data on p53 and Rb from 305 cases and 89 cases, respectively, indicated that abnormalities of p53 and Rb were common events in bone tumors. The accumulation of p53 protein and loss of Rb protein were more common in aggressive bone tumors. Structures and their products of related proto-oncogenes (ras, myc, fos, bcl-2, met) were studied in 124 cases. Bone tumors presented multi-oncogenes abnormalities with differences in different pathological kinds. Exogenous wild-type p53 gene transfected into osteosarcoma cell line induced growth inhibition and apoptosis of tumor cells.

Abnormalities of chromosomes, proto-oncogenes, and tumor suppressor genes frequently exist in bone tumor cells and are correlated with oncogenesis.