Abstract
Altered expression of the retinoblastoma (RB) tumour-suppressor gene product (pRB) has been detected in sporadic bone and soft-tissue sarcomas. Earlier studies, analysing small cohorts of sarcoma patients, have suggested that these alterations are more commonly associated with high-grade tumours, metastatic lesions and poorer survival. This study was designed to re-examine the prevalence and clinical significance of altered pRB expression in a large and selected group of soft-tissue sarcomas from 174 adult patients. Representative tissue sections from these sarcomas were analysed by immunohistochemistry using a well-characterised anti-pRB monoclonal antibody. Tumours were considered to have a positive pRB phenotype only when pure nuclear staining was demonstrated, and cases were segregated into one of three groups. Group 1 (n = 36) were patients whose tumours have minimal or undetectable pRB nuclear staining (< 20% of tumour cells) and were considered pRB negative. Patients with tumours staining in a heterogeneous pattern (20-79% of tumour cells) were classified as group 2 (n = 99). The staining of group 3 (n = 39) was strongly positive with a homogeneous pRB nuclear immunoreactivity (80-100% of tumour cells). pRB alterations were frequently observed in both low- and high-grade lesions. Altered pRB expression did not correlate with known predictors of survival and was not itself an independent predictor of outcome in the long-term follow-up. These findings support earlier observations that alterations of pRB expression are common events in soft-tissue sarcomas; nevertheless, long-term follow-up results indicate that altered patterns of pRB expression do not influence clinical outcome of patients affected with soft-tissue sarcomas. It is postulated that RB alterations are primary events in human sarcomas and may be involved in tumorigenesis or early phases of tumour progression in these neoplasias.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 24 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $10.79 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Karpeh, M., Brennan, M., Cance, W. et al. Altered patterns of retinoblastoma gene product expression in adult soft-tissue sarcomas. Br J Cancer 72, 986–991 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1995.447
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1995.447
This article is cited by
-
Reshaping the tumor microenvironment of cold soft-tissue sarcomas with oncolytic viral therapy: a phase 2 trial of intratumoral JX-594 combined with avelumab and low-dose cyclophosphamide
Molecular Cancer (2024)
-
Randomized phase 2 trial of intravenous oncolytic virus JX-594 combined with low-dose cyclophosphamide in patients with advanced soft-tissue sarcoma
Journal of Hematology & Oncology (2022)
-
Atypical spindle cell lipoma: a clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular study emphasizing its relationship to classical spindle cell lipoma
Virchows Archiv (2014)
-
Genetische Veränderungen bei Weichteilsarkomen
Der Onkologe (2009)
-
Do DNA copy number changes differentiate uterine from non-uterine leiomyosarcomas and predict metastasis?
Modern Pathology (2006)