Tissue matrix protein expression in human osteoblasts, osteosarcoma tumors, and osteosarcoma cell lines

Treatment for osteosarcoma is problematic because there are no prognostic markers. Diagnosis is primarily limited to cytologic grading. Oncogenesis alters cell structure therefore osteoblast tissue matrix proteins (extracellular matrix, cytoskeletal, intermediate filament, and nuclear matrix proteins), components of the cell substructure, are candidates for osteosarcoma markers. Structural proteins of the extracellular matrix, e.g. the collagens, are useful for diagnosis but not for tumors that produce little osteoid. To identify principal cellular tissue matrix proteins that distinguish normal from transformed human osteoblasts, their expression in normal osteoblasts, two osteosarcoma cell lines, and three primary osteosarcoma tumors were compared. The tumors were graded as (i) intermediate, (ii) high, and (iii) high grade recurrent. The 1-D SDS/PAGE profiles of the major components of the nuclear matrix and intermediate filament fractions from normal osteoblasts did not vary with biopsy site, age, or sex of patients. These profiles included known cytoskeletal proteins and OB250, a approximately 250 kD protein(s) observed in the intermediate filament fraction. A loss of protein bands, including OB250, was observed in the osteosarcoma cell lines and tumors. The intermediate and high grade tumors exhibited nearly identical protein profiles including potential tumor-specific proteins and collagen, consistent with the presence of intracellular collagen fibers in osteosarcoma. A microsequence was obtained for OT25, a novel low molecular weight protein observed in osteosarcoma cell lines. Fibrinogen gamma-chain, a protein that mediates cell adhesion was recovered from the high grade recurrent tumor.