Molecular analyses reveal an inflammatory response in the solid component and cystic fluid of human adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma. Homo sapiens

Pediatric adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP) cyst may be associated with injury to critical neurological structures, such as the hypothalamus, resulting in poor quality of life and shorter lifespan. This work presents evidence that immune actors, both pro-inflammatory and immunomodulatory, and their receptors, are present at unique levels in ACP cyst fluid and tumor tissue, potentially indicating a mechanism underlying cyst growth and tumor invasion of the hypothalamus. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that ACP, when compared to other pediatric brain tumors and nomral brain, harbored overexpression of a number of inflammatory and immunosuppressive genes. Overall design: Gene expression profiles were generated from ACP surgical tumor, and surgical tumors of other common pediatric brain tumor types and normal brain samples (n=110) using Affymetrix HG-U133plus2 chips (Platform GPL570).