Cytogenetic studies on the nucleolar organizer region [NOR] activity in meningioma cells with normal and hypodiploid karyotypes.

The association pattern and NOR silver staining of the acrocentric chromosomes was studied in normal and hypodiploid cell lines of four meningioma patients. In three cases the hypodiploid cells showed a more increased association frequency or NOR silver staining or both than the normal ones, indicating a compensatory mechanism between the NORs. Chromosomes #14 seemed to be more frequently involved in this phenomenon than other acrocentric chromosomes. From the silver staining results it was concluded that in meningioma cells, chromosomes #22 which bear active as well as inactive NORs were missing. The compensation between the NORs was probably only activated if an active NOR was lost.