Biomaterial Database

Deletion of chromosome arm 1p in a Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). 1994

Z Gibas, and S Weil, and S T Chen, and P A McCue

Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

A case of neuroendocrine skin carcinoma (Merkel cell carcinoma) with a deletion of the short arm of chromosome 1 (1p) as the sole chromosomal abnormality was examined. The tumor originated in the skin of the left knee of a 67-year-old man. Histopathologic study showed an undifferentiated small cell tumor which expressed neuron-specific enolase, chromogranin, and cytokeratin (CAM 5.2). Cytogenetic analysis of a lymph node metastasis from the groin showed a pseudodiploid cell population with a deletion of the short arm of chromosome 1 as the only abnormality: 46,XY,del(1)(p36.1). In situ hybridization with the D1Z2 probe specific for the terminal band of 1p confirmed the terminal deletion. This is the first case of Merkel cell carcinoma in which only one chromosomal abnormality has been observed. Loss of the terminal portion of 1p suggests that a tumor suppressor gene on 1p plays a role in the pathogenesis of Merkel cell carcinoma.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D002872	Chromosome Deletion	Actual loss of portion of a chromosome.	Monosomy, Partial,Partial Monosomy,Deletion, Chromosome,Deletions, Chromosome,Monosomies, Partial,Partial Monosomies
D002878	Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1	A specific pair of human chromosomes in group A (CHROMOSOMES, HUMAN, 1-3) of the human chromosome classification.	Chromosome 1
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012878	Skin Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the SKIN.	Cancer of Skin,Skin Cancer,Cancer of the Skin,Neoplasms, Skin,Cancer, Skin,Cancers, Skin,Neoplasm, Skin,Skin Cancers,Skin Neoplasm
D015266	Carcinoma, Merkel Cell	A carcinoma arising from MERKEL CELLS located in the basal layer of the epidermis and occurring most commonly as a primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin. Merkel cells are tactile cells of neuroectodermal origin and histologically show neurosecretory granules. The skin of the head and neck are a common site of Merkel cell carcinoma, occurring generally in elderly patients. (Holland et al., Cancer Medicine, 3d ed, p1245)	Merkel Cell Tumor,Merkel Cell Cancer,Merkel Cell Carcinoma,Merkle Tumors,Cancer, Merkel Cell,Cell Cancer, Merkel,Tumor, Merkel Cell,Tumors, Merkle
D016147	Genes, Tumor Suppressor	Genes that inhibit expression of the tumorigenic phenotype. They are normally involved in holding cellular growth in check. When tumor suppressor genes are inactivated or lost, a barrier to normal proliferation is removed and unregulated growth is possible.	Antioncogenes,Cancer Suppressor Genes,Emerogenes,Genes, Cancer Suppressor,Genes, Growth Suppressor,Genes, Metastasis Suppressor,Growth Suppressor Genes,Metastasis Suppressor Genes,Tumor Suppressor Genes,Anti-Oncogenes,Genes, Onco-Suppressor,Oncogenes, Recessive,Tumor Suppressing Genes,Anti Oncogenes,Anti-Oncogene,Antioncogene,Cancer Suppressor Gene,Emerogene,Gene, Cancer Suppressor,Gene, Growth Suppressor,Gene, Metastasis Suppressor,Gene, Onco-Suppressor,Gene, Tumor Suppressing,Gene, Tumor Suppressor,Genes, Onco Suppressor,Genes, Tumor Suppressing,Growth Suppressor Gene,Metastasis Suppressor Gene,Onco-Suppressor Gene,Onco-Suppressor Genes,Oncogene, Recessive,Recessive Oncogene,Recessive Oncogenes,Suppressor Gene, Cancer,Suppressor Gene, Growth,Suppressor Gene, Metastasis,Suppressor Genes, Cancer,Suppressor Genes, Growth,Suppressor Genes, Metastasis,Tumor Suppressing Gene,Tumor Suppressor Gene