Glycolipids and myelin proteins in human oligodendrogliomas

Abstract

We studied myelin proteins and glycolipids in 24 human oligodendrogliomas (16 pure, eight mixed), including two grade I, 13 grade II, five grade III, and four grade IV. Tumours with a 1b ganglioside content (GD1b, GT1b and GQ1b) over 30% of total gangliosides occur more frequently in the WHO grade I and II (47%) and grade III (40%) than in the grade IV (25%) group; there was no difference in the amounts of total ganglioside or individual gangliosides between pure and mixed oligodendrogliomas. The presence of 6'-LM1 correlated with higher grades of tumours (chi 2 P approximately 0.02); however, 3'-LM1 and total neolacto-series gangliosides did not correlated with grade. Immunohistochemical studies of oligodendrocyte and myelin markers (GalCer, sulfatide, 2',3' -cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase, myelin basic protein and proteolipid protein) using specific antibodies showed only a very small proportion of tumour cells staining. These data do not support the hypothesis that tumours classified as oligodendrogliomas are derived from mature oligodendrocytes.

Anti-Human Olig2 Antibody as a Useful Immunohistochemical Marker of Normal Oligodendrocytes and Gliomas

“…4,7,8 A number of antigens that are specifically expressed by normal oligodendrocytes have been identified, and applied to oligodendroglial tumors. These include myelin basic protein, 20 proteolipid protein, 21 myelin-associated glycoprotein, 20 and galactocerebroside, 21,22 as well as several enzymes such as carbonic anhydrase C. 23 However, so far, none of these antigens have been approved as diagnostically useful markers for oligodendroglial tumors. They are either no longer expressed by neoplastic oligodendrocytes, or they are expressed only in a minority of cases, or their expression is not restricted to oligodendroglial tumor cells.…”

Oligodendrocyte lineage genes ( OLIG ) as molecular markers for human glial brain tumors

“…Oligodendrogliomas manifest weak or absent immunoreactivity to conventional markers for mature oligodendrocytes (8,9,26), and in situ hybridization for mRNA transcripts of myelin-specific proteins was essentially negative in oligodendroglioma (11). These findings have led investigators to question whether oligodendroglioma is indeed a derivative of oligodendroglial cells or represents some other cell of origin (27).…”

Nogo-A expression in oligodendroglial tumors

“…Histopathologic markers that discriminate oligodendrogliomas from astrocytomas are lacking. 3,4 There are no reliable immunohistochemical markers available for the specific and sensitive recognition of human oligodendroglial tumor cells, including myelin basic protein, proteolipid protein, myelin-associated glycoprotein and galactocerebroside, as well as several enzymes, such as carbonic anhydrase C. [16][17][18] Indeed, none of these antigens have been approved as diagnostically useful markers for oligodendroglial tumors; they are no longer expressed by neoplastic oligodendrocytes, they are only expressed in a minority of cases, or their expression is not restricted to oligodendroglial tumor cells. 19 Hence, in the absence of an efficient diagnostic marker, the WHO classification of gliomas is based exclusively on the morphologic similarity of neoplastic cells to either astrocytes or oligodendrocytes.…”