Molecular and clinical risk factors for recurrence of skull base chordomas: gain on chromosome 2p, expression of brachyury, and lack of irradiation negatively correlate with patient prognosis

Chordomas are invasive tumors that develop from notochordal remnants and frequently occur in the skull base. The T gene and its product (brachyury) have recently been suggested to play an important role in chordoma progression. To date, few studies have investigated the relationship between the molecular/genetic characteristics of chordoma and patient prognosis. We analyzed 37 skull base chordomas for chromosomal copy number aberrations using comparative genomic hybridization, brachyury expression by immunohistochemistry, and T gene copy number by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The results of these molecular analyses and clinical parameters were compared with the patients' clinical courses. Univariate analyses using the log-rank test demonstrated that losses on chromosome 1p and gains on 1q and 2p were negatively correlated with progression-free survival, as were factors such as female sex, partial tumor removal, lack of postoperative irradiation, and high MIB-1 index. Expression of brachyury and copy number gain of the T gene were also significantly associated with shorter progression-free survival. Multivariate analysis using the Cox hazards model showed that lack of irradiation, gain on chromosome 2p, and expression of brachyury were independently associated with a poor prognosis. Our results suggest that brachyury-negative chordomas arebiologically distinct from brachyury-positive chordomas and that T/brachyury might be an appropriate molecular therapeutic target for chordoma.

Anthracene-1,4,9,10-tetra-one

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C₁₄H₆O₄, contains three independent mol­ecules (A, B and C). In mol­ecule C, there are two disordered sets of two carbonyl O atoms [occupancies = 0.643 (11) and 0.357 (11)]. All three mol­ecules are non-planar due to repulsion between two O atoms in peri positions on the anthracene ring, showing a slight difference in deviation of the carbonyl O atoms. The intra­molecular distances between the two nearest O atoms are in the range of 2.685 (10)–2.766 (10) Å. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by C—H⋯O and π–π [centroid–centroid distances = 3.615 (2), 3.844 (2) and 3.921 (2) Å] inter­actions, which lead to the formation of a herringbone-like arrangement.

Source analysis of the magnetic field evoked during self-paced finger movements

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to investigate a source of cortical magnetic fields evoked by index finger movements.

METHODS

We analysed both movement-related cortical fields (MRCFs) and somatosensory-evoked fields (SEFs) by single equivalent current dipole (ECD) method in six healthy subjects. Dipole locations were superimposed on MR images of each individual subject.

RESULTS

The first component after finger movement (movement-evoked field I, MEFI) was observed in all subjects. The dipole of MEFI was oriented posteriorly, and was located on the posterior wall of the central sulcus of the hemisphere contralateral to the movement. The SEFs showed three major components: N20m, P30m and P60m. The dipoles of P30m and P60m were orientated posteriorly, similarly to the MEFI dipole, while that of N20m was orientated anteriorly. The dipole location of MEFI was closely located to P60m, not to N20m and P30m. The mean location of the MEFI dipole was significantly (p<0.05) superior to N20m.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that MEFI would be generated in the sensory area (area 3b) affected by multiple afferents and activities, and that the source of the MEFI is not identical to that of the N20m component.

A Novel Synthesis of Anionic Heterogemini Surfactants Containing COOH, SO3H and PO(OH)2 Headgroups from Corynomicolic Acid and its Derivatives

Anionic heterogemini surfactants with –COOH, –SO3H and –PO(OH)2 headgroups in combination were synthesized from Corynomicolic acid derivatives having R = C11H23. The –SO3H headgroup was obtained by the successive conversion of OH → OMs → SCN → SH → –SO3H. The PO(OH)2 headgroup was introduced by the conjugate-addition to E-isomer of α,β-unsaturated ester derived from Corynomycolic acid ester. Heterogemini surfactant with –SO3H and –PO(OH)2 headgroups was also synthesized from phosphonate analog of Corynomycolic acid. The stereoisomers (syn- and anti-isomers) of heterogemini surfactants were separately prepared except for heterogemini surfactants with –COOH and –PO(OH)2 headgroups. Effects of variation and stereochemistry of two anionic headgroups on their surfactant properties were also studied on the basis of surface tension measurements.

16th IHIW: international histocompatibility working group in hematopoietic cell transplantation

The International Histocompatibility Working Group is a collaborative international effort to understand the HLA and non-HLA genetics of the transplantation barrier. The Working Group is comprised of experts in the fields of histocompatibility and immunogenetics, hematopoietic cell transplantation and outcomes research. Data for 25 855 unrelated donor transplants were submitted in support of research studies for the 16th International Histocompatibility Workshop. Active investigation is in progress in seven key areas: the impact of HLA matching, role of race and ethnicity, identification of permissible HLA mismatches, haplotype-associated determinants, minor histocompatibility antigens, immune response genes and KIR genetics. New hypotheses for the 16th workshop were developed for immunogenetic studies in cord blood and haploidentical-related donor transplantation.

9,10-Diiodophenanthrene

The whole mol­ecule of the title compound, C₁₄H₈I₂, is generated by crystallographic twofold symmetry. The mol­ecule is planar [maximum deviation = 0.0323 (6) Å] with the I atoms displaced from the mean plane of the phenanthrene ring system by only 0.0254 (5) Å. In the crystal, mol­ecules form face-to-face slipped anti­parallel π–π stacking inter­actions along the c axis with an inter­planar distance of 3.499 (7) Å.

9,10-Dibromophenanthrene

The mol­ecule of the title compound, C₁₄H₈Br₂, is almost planar [maximum deviation 0.0355 (7) Å] and possesses crystallographic twofold (C2) symmetry. In the crystal, the mol­ecules form face-to-face slipped anti­parallel π–π stacking inter­actions along the c axis with an inter­planar distance 3.471 (7) Å, centroid–centroid distances of 3.617 (5)–3.803 (6) Å.

3,6-Dibromophenanthrene

The phenanthrene ring in the title compound, C₁₄H₈Br₂, is approximately planar [maximum deviation = 0.039 (3) Å]. In contrast, the two bromo atoms are displaced slightly from the phenanthrene plane [maximum deviation = 0.1637 (3) Å]. In the crystal, the mol­ecules adopt a herringbone-like arrangement and form face-to-face slipped π–π stacking inter­actions along the b axis, with an inter­planar distance of 3.544 (3) Å and slippage of 1.81 Å. The crystal studied was a racemic twin with a minor twin fraction of 0.390 (10).

2,6-Dimeth-oxy-9,10-anthraquinone

The title compound, C₁₆H₁₂O₄, crystallizes with two half-mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit, each of which is completed by a crystallographic inversion center. The two crystallographically independent mol­ecules have almost the same geometry and are almost planar [maximum deviations = 0.018 (3) and 0.049 (3) Å]. They adopt a conformation in which the C_meth­yl—O bonds are directed along the mol­ecular short axis [C—C—O—C torsion angles of 179.6 (2) and 178.0 (2)°]. In the crystal, the mol­ecular packing is characterized by a combination of a columnar stacking and a herringbone-like arrangement. The mol­ecules form slipped π-stacks along the b axis, in which there are two kinds of columns differing from each other in their slippage. The inter­planar distances between neighboring mol­ecules are 3.493 (3) for one column and 3.451 (2) Å for the other.

Evaluation of Three Cases Using a Novel Titanium Mesh System-Skull-Fit with Orbital Wall (Skull-Fit WOW)-For Cranial Base Reconstructions

Cranial base reconstructions associated with tumor resections around the orbital wall often require that both the upper and lateral orbital walls be reconstructed during a single procedure. Previously, we used titanium mesh plates that were preoperatively fabricated based on three-dimensional models. Although these plates are precise and do not increase the probability of infection, we still had to use autologous bones to reconstruct the orbital walls. Recently, we developed a new titanium mesh plate-called Skull-Fit(®)-with orbital wall (Skull-Fit WOW(®)), enabling us to reconstruct the cranial base and orbital walls without bone grafts. Here, we report on three reconstruction cases in which the novel titanium mesh-orbital wall system was used. In all three cases, the customized titanium mesh system performed satisfactorily with little, if any, complications.

2,3,6,7-Tetra-meth-oxy-9,10-anthra-quinone

Mol-ecules of the title compound, C(18)H(16)O(6), are almost planar [maximum deviation = 0.096 (4) Å] and reside on crystallographic centres of inversion. They adopt a conformation in which the C(meth-yl)-O bonds are directed along the mol-ecular short axis [C-C-O-C torsion angles of -175.3 (3) and 178.2 (3)°]. In the crystal, mol-ecules adopt a slipped-parallel arrangement with π-π stacking inter-actions along the a axis with an inter-planar distance of 3.392 (4) Å. Weak C-H⋯O inter-actions link the mol-ecules into sheets parallel to (10-2).

Infratentorial low-grade oligoastrocytoma with aggressive clinical behavior in an adult: a case report with genetic characterization

Oligoastrocytoma preferentially arises in the cerebral hemisphere, and a cerebellar location is unusual. We report the case of a 35-year-old woman with an aggressive cerebellar tumor histopathologically diagnosed as oligoastrocytoma World Health Organization (WHO) grade II. After partial removal of the tumor, she underwent concomitant temozolomide (TMZ) therapy with local irradiation followed by additional TMZ monotherapy. However, her symptoms gradually worsened, and chronological magnetic resonance imaging showed remarkable tumor enlargement. In accordance with the aggressive clinical course, unfavorable genetic characteristics such as the gain of the entire chromosome 7, loss of 9p, absence of 1p/19q codeletion, absence of methylation of the O6-methylguanine-deoxyribonucleic acid methyltransferase promoter, and absence of the isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 mutation were observed. The present case illustrates that these molecular characteristics represent the biological features of gliomas more closely than the histopathological diagnosis and may also suggest that infratentorial gliomas arise through a distinct tumorigenic pathway from their supratentorial counterparts.