B. Kruslin et al., ONCOPROTEINS AND TUMOR-SUPPRESSOR PROTEINS IN CONGENITAL SACROCOCCYGEAL TERATOMAS, PEDIATRIC PATHOLOGY & LABORATORY MEDICINE, 17(1), 1997, pp. 43-52
Congenital sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) is the most common germ cell
tumor of infancy and childhood with a female preponderance. Most SCTs
are diagnosed at birth, are benign, and consist of fully differentiate
d, mature tissues. Tumorigenesis of SCTs remains poorly understood. Al
most nothing is known about possible oncogene activation or tumor supp
ressor inactivation in these rare tuners. We describe the presence of
various oncoproteins and tumor suppressor proteins in eight cases of c
ongenital SCT. The following oncogenes were examined: ras family (c-H-
, c-N-, and c-K-ras), early genes (fos, jun), and tumor suppressor gen
es (p53 and nm23-H-1). There was no relationship between the intensity
of expression of these oncoproteins and tumor suppressor genes and th
e following parameters: tumor size, age, and survival of the patients.
We did not observe any difference, however, between the expression of
the examined oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes nm23 and p53 in imm
ature and mature teratomas. Our findings suggest that the ras family o
f oncogenes, fos and jun oncogenes, and nm23 and p53 tumor suppressor
genes are present in congenital SCT, indicating a possible role in gen
esis and development of these tumors.