Central nervous system high grade neuroepithelial tumor with BCOR immunopositivity: Is there a molecular heterogeneity?

Brain Tumor Pathol. 2021 Jan;38(1):41-49. doi: 10.1007/s10014-020-00381-z. Epub 2020 Sep 27.

Abstract

Central nervous system high grade neuroepithelial tumor - BCOR altered is a newly defined entity which is characterised by internal tandem duplication (ITD) in exon 15 of BCOR. These tumors resemble high grade glioma histologically and exhibit BCOR immunopositivity. However, recently fusions of BCOR are also described in CNS lower grade gliomas, thus questioning the sensitivity and specificity of BCOR immunohistochemistry for identification of BCOR-ITD. We describe four cases of high grade neuroepithelial tumor with BCOR immunopositivity which were diagnosed over a period of one year at our institute. Amongst these, only one tumor revealed BCOR-ITD on sequencing. SATB2 immunopositivity which is a sensitive marker of BCOR-ITD, BCOR fusions and YWHAE fusions was noted in three out of four cases. Our study suggests that BCOR immunopositive CNS high grade tumors are molecularly heterogeneous and could harbour genetic alterations other than BCOR-ITD.

Keywords: BCOR; BCOR-ITD; Immunopositive; Neuroepithelial; SATB2.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Brain Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology
  • Child, Preschool
  • Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Exons / genetics
  • Female
  • Gene Fusion
  • Genetic Heterogeneity*
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Matrix Attachment Region Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial / diagnostic imaging
  • Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial / genetics*
  • Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial / metabolism*
  • Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial / pathology
  • Prospective Studies
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics*
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism*
  • Tandem Repeat Sequences / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • BCOR protein, human
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Matrix Attachment Region Binding Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins
  • SATB2 protein, human
  • Transcription Factors