Altered
cysteine dioxygenase 1 (CDO1) gene expression has been observed in several
cancers but has not yet been investigated in
liposarcomas. The aim of this study was to evaluate CDO1 expression in a cohort of
liposarcomas and to determine its association with clinicopathological features. Existing microarray data indicated variable CDO1 expression in
liposarcoma subtypes. CDO1
mRNA from a larger cohort of
liposarcomas was quantified by real time-PCR, and CDO1
protein expression was determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in more than 300
tumor specimens.
Well-differentiated liposarcomas (WDLSs) had significantly higher CDO1 gene expression and
protein levels than
dedifferentiated liposarcomas (DDLSs) (P < 0.001). Location of the
tumor was not predictive of the expression level of CDO1
mRNA in any histological subtype of
liposarcoma. Recurrent
tumors did not show any difference in CDO1 expression when compared to primary
tumors. CDO1 expression was upregulated as human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) undergo differentiation into mature adipocytes. Our results suggest that CDO1 is a marker of
liposarcoma progression and adipogenic differentiation.