精母细胞肿瘤是罕见的睾丸肿瘤,主要发生在老年男性。大多数表现出经典的三方形态(不同于精原细胞瘤),并且是良性的。然而,有据可查的恶性精原细胞肿瘤病例。我们以前的工作表明,一个子集的精母细胞肿瘤表现出TP53突变,DNA甲基化谱更接近精原细胞瘤,和/或染色体12p的增益表现出侵袭性特征,包括肉瘤样转化和转移性播散。microRNA-371-373簇是一种有前途的生物标志物,在具有恶性行为的非畸胎瘤生殖细胞肿瘤中上调。在这项工作中,我们通过定量实时聚合酶链反应在18个代表整个临床谱的精母细胞肿瘤中分析microRNAs-371-373,包括6个具有侵袭性特征(肉瘤样转化,转移,或染色体12p的增益)。microRNAs-371-373的水平在非畸胎瘤生殖细胞肿瘤中明显高于精母细胞肿瘤,总体(p<0.0001)。重要的是,在具有侵袭性特征的精母细胞肿瘤中,microRNA-371-373的水平高于非侵袭性肿瘤.在一个显示同染色体12p的肿瘤中观察到最高水平。这些结果进一步支持了我们先前的发现,即精母细胞肿瘤的一个子集介于所谓的II型和III型生殖细胞肿瘤之间,并且胚胎microRNA在精母细胞肿瘤的攻击行为中起作用。因此,这部分肿瘤可能表现为侵袭性,需要密切随访.在未来,这为精母细胞肿瘤患者血清中的microRNA检测提供了机会,以进行危险分层.
Spermatocytic tumors are rare testicular tumors occurring predominantly in older men. Most show a classical tripartite morphology (different from seminoma) and are benign. However, well-documented cases of malignant spermatocytic tumors exist. Our previous work showed that a subset of spermatocytic tumors exhibiting TP53 mutations, DNA methylation profiles closer to seminomas, and/or gains in chromosome 12p exhibited aggressive characteristics, including sarcomatoid transformation and metastatic dissemination. The microRNA-371-373 cluster is a promising biomarker which is upregulated in non-teratoma germ cell tumors with malignant behavior. In this work we analyze microRNAs-371-373 b y quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in 18 spermatocytic tumors representative of the whole clinical spectrum, including 6 with aggressive features (sarcomatoid transformation, metastases, or gains in chromosome 12p). The levels of microRNAs-371-373 were significantly higher in non-teratoma germ cell tumors compared to spermatocytic tumors, overall (p < 0.0001). Importantly, levels of microRNA-371-373 were higher in spermatocytic tumors with aggressive features compared to non-aggressive neoplasms. The highest levels were observed in one tumor showing isochromosome 12p. These results further support our previous findings that a subset of spermatocytic tumors are intermediate between so-called type II and type III germ cell tumors and that embryonic microRNAs play a role in aggressive behavior in spermatocytic tumors. Accordingly, this subset of tumors may behave aggressively and require close follow up. In the future, this opens an opportunity for microRNA testing in serum of spermatocytic tumor patients for risk stratification purposes.