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Molecular studies in pediatric medulloblastomas

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Abstract

Ten pediatric medulloblastoma patients were analyzed for DNA content, cell cycle, expression of drug resistance, apoptosis, cell proliferation, andN-myc genes to determine their prognostic significance. Medulloblastoma patients with progressive disease had fourth ventricle foraminal extension and larger tumors in the imaging studies. Patients with aneuploid tumors responded well to treatment regimens as compared with those with diploid tumors. Cell cycle analysis showed that the patients with progressive disease had a high S-phase fraction in the tumor cell population as compared with patients with favorable response to treatment. The correlation coefficients betweenBcl-2 andMRP, Bcl-2 andBax, p53 andp21, as well asKi67 andPCNA were positive and significant, indicating their possible coregulated expression. The relationship between these markers indicates their relative and cumulative effect on cellular drug resistance, apoptosis, and/or cell proliferation in pediatric medulloblastomas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute, Miami Children's Hospital, 3100 SW 62nd Avenue, 33155, Miami, FL, USA

    Cheppail Ramachandran & Hugo B. Fonseca

  2. Division of Hematology/Oncology, Miami Children's Hospital, Miami, FL, USA

    Ziad Khatib & Enrique Escalon

  3. Department of Pathology, Miami Children's Hospital, Miami, FL, USA

    Perseus Jhabvala & Steven J. Melnick

  4. Department of Radiology, Miami Children's Hospital, Miami, FL, USA

    L. Santiago Medina & Belinda D'Souza

  5. Division of Neurosurgery, Miami Children's Hospital, Miami, FL, USA

    John Ragheb & Glenn Morrison

Authors
  1. Cheppail Ramachandran
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  2. Ziad Khatib
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  3. Enrique Escalon
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  4. Hugo B. Fonseca
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  5. Perseus Jhabvala
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  6. L. Santiago Medina
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  7. Belinda D'Souza
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  8. John Ragheb
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  9. Glenn Morrison
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  10. Steven J. Melnick
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Correspondence to Cheppail Ramachandran.

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Ramachandran, C., Khatib, Z., Escalon, E. et al. Molecular studies in pediatric medulloblastomas. Brain Tumor Pathol 19, 15–22 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02482451

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02482451

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