Chromium exposure and germinal embryonal carcinoma: first two cases and review of the literature

The aim of the study was to determine the potential role of occupational exposures to chromium (Cr) in the onset of extragonadal germinal embryonal carcinoma. The first two cases of workers in a company with Cr exposure are reported. The published scientific literature regarding the topic in peer-reviewed journals including MEDLINE and CancerLit databases was extensively reviewed. Two young patients who were coworkers in the same company, exposed to Cr, developed extragonadal germinal embryonal carcinomas. One of them also developed angiosarcoma of the mediastinum. To the best of our knowledge these are the first two cases of germinal embryonal carcinoma in patients with occupational exposure to Cr.

[The use of B1-PCR method for studying the genomic polymorphism involved in malignant growth]

The BI-PCT method showed the profile of BI-associated fragments of LNA in the cell line of the mouse hepatoma MH-22a to differ from that of the liver cells of C3HA mice, hepatoma cells incorporating the DNA fragments with 450 bp and those with 600bp disappearing. Application of the same method failed to reveal any differences in the profiles of BI-associated DNA fragments in the differentiated and non-differentiated cells of the embryonal carcinoma F9 induced by retinoic acid and cAMP dibutyryl treatment. It is suggested that the spectra of BI-associated DNA fragments might correlate with genetic stability in tumor cells.