Matrix biochemistry and cell biology of dedifferentiated chondrosarcomas

Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma is an uncommon mesenchymal neoplasm comprised of two different components, low-grade conventional chondrosarcoma and high-grade non-cartilaginous sarcoma. In order to gain better insight into the biology of this tumor, we investigated a large series of dedifferentiated chondrosarcomas by looking at the composition of the extracellular tumor matrix within each of the distinct histological components. Our results showed that the well-differentiated portion of the tumors showed matrix components largely similar to conventional chondrosarcomas or enchondromas. In contrast, the high-grade portions showed a variety of staining patterns related to the matrix being formed. Cartilage-specific proteoglycans and collagens were consistently absent, except in areas showing a chondroblastic osteosarcoma histomorphology. Instead, the most dominant immunostaining was received for type I collagen. Type III and VI collagens were concentrated in the areas showing a fibroblastic phenotype. Our results lend further support to the notion that dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma represents transdifferentiation of a cell towards various blastic mesenchymal cell lineages, most commonly osteoblastic and fibroblastic, but occasionally chondroblastic as well. There was no difference in the clinical outcome of patients with differing high-grade tumor types, emphasizing that grade is a more important predictor of biological behavior than the direction of tumor differentiation.