Chordoma was a typically slow-growing tumor. The therapeutic approach to chordoma had traditionally relied mainly on surgical therapy. And the main reason for therapeutic failure was resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However the refractory mechanism was not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of three genes (MDR1, HIF-1alpha, MRP1) associated with resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy in chordoma and chordoma cell line CM-319.

Using immunohistochemical techniques, the expression of MDR1, HIF-1alpha and MRP1 was investigated in 50 chordoma specimen. Using RT-PCR and Western blot, the expression of MDR1, HIF-1alpha and MRP1 was investigated in chordoma and chordoma cell line CM-319.

Expression of MDR1, HIF-1alpha and MRP1 was observed in 10 percent, 80 percent and 74 percent of all cases, respectively. Expression of MRP1 was correlated with HIF-1alpha. On the other hand, expression of MDR1 was not correlated with the expression of HIF-1alpha or MRP1. The expression of HIF-1alpha and MRP1 was observed, but MDR1was not observed in chordoma and CM-319.

Expression of HIF-1alpha and MRP1 was observed in most chordoma specimen and CM-319 cell line; expression of HIF-1alpha correlated with MRP1. HIF-1alpha and MRP1 may play a role in the multidrug resistance of chordoma to chemotherapy.

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