Loss of 1p and 7p in radiation-induced meningiomas identified by comparative genomic hybridization

Cytogenetic and molecular studies of radiation-induced meningiomas (RIM) are rare and controversial. While comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) analysis identified monosomy 22 as the predominant change in RIM, occurring in frequencies comparable to those found in spontaneous meningioma (SM), molecular genetic analysis shows infrequent loss of chromosome 22 DNA markers. We have performed CGH analysis of six additional cases of RIM and detected an unbalanced genome in five of 6 cases. Loss of 1p and 7p was identified in the majority of RIM with an abnormal karyotype (4/5 cases), whereas loss of 6q occurred in three of five cases. Only one of five RIM had monosomy for chromosome 22. Loss of 7p is not frequently reported in SM and yet it was detected in four of 5 RIM with an abnormal karyotype in our study. Molecular and cytogenetic studies of chromosome 7 copy number should be attempted on a larger number of RIM to further investigate the role of 7p loss in RIM.