No cytogenetic evidence for involvement of gene(s) at 2p16 in sporadic cardiac myxomas: cytogenetic changes in ten sporadic cardiac myxomas

Cardiac myxomas are significant causes of cardiovascular morbidity and mort ality. Their genetic background is presently unknown. Recently, linkage ana lysis in cardiac myxomas of Carney complex patients has indicated that 2p16 and 17q2 might carry genes responsible for the development of hereditary c ardiac myxomas. Less is known about sporadic cardiac myxomas. To date, cyto genetic analysis has been performed on 13 sporadic cases, and no specific r earrangement has been deduced. We studied 15 sporadic cardiac myxomas and r eviewed the literature. Ten of the present cases revealed abnormal karyotyp es with clonal and nonclonal rearrangements including dicentric chromosomes and telomeric associations. No cytogenetic evidence was found for a role o f 2p16 in the development of sporadic cases. Region 17q2 was involved in st ructural rearrangements, but to a lesser extent than other regions. Structu ral rearrangements involving regions 12p1 and 17p1 are more frequently pres ent and might therefore harbor genes important for the development of spora dic cardiac myxomas. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.