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Genetics of a combined lung small cell carcinoma and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma with adenocarcinoma

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Abstract

Combined nonneuroendocrine–neuroendocrine lung tumors are relatively infrequent and little is known as for their genetic basis. Here, we report the case of a 69-year-old male with a solitary neoplasm in the upper lobe of the right lung. At histological examination, the tumor showed two components. The main part was an adenocarcinoma of the acinar type. The second part showed morphological and immunohistochemical phenotype of a neuroendocrine carcinoma composed of a small cell lung carcinoma and a large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. The aim of our study was to investigate the genetic relationship between neuroendocrine and nonneuroendocrine tumor components. To this purpose, we performed a loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis with 40 chromosomal microsatellite markers. Microallelotyping revealed a common genetic profile in the different tumor areas. In 9 of 30 informative regions analyzed, LOH involved the same allele in all components, regardless of their histological type and grade. These findings support the true combined nature of this exocrine–neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung and suggest a common monoclonal origin from a pluripotent epithelial (alveolar or bronchial) precursor cell for the two different tumor components.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Doctor Nicoletta Campanini, Mrs. Gabriella Becchi, and Mrs. Emilia Corradini, University of Parma, for their excellent technical assistance. This work has been supported by grants from MURST (COFIN 05) and the University of Parma (FIL 05).

Conflict of interest statement

The Authors declare the absence of any conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Section of Anatomic Pathology, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43100, Parma, Italy

    Giovanni Fellegara, Tiziana D’Adda, Francesco P. Pilato, Elisabetta Froio & Guido Rindi

  2. Department of Surgery, Thoracic Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy

    Luca Ampollini & Michele Rusca

Authors
  1. Giovanni Fellegara
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  2. Tiziana D’Adda
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  3. Francesco P. Pilato
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  4. Elisabetta Froio
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  5. Luca Ampollini
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  6. Michele Rusca
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  7. Guido Rindi
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Correspondence to Guido Rindi.

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Fellegara, G., D’Adda, T., Pilato, F.P. et al. Genetics of a combined lung small cell carcinoma and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma with adenocarcinoma. Virchows Arch 453, 107–115 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-008-0620-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-008-0620-y

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