Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for the Ki-1 anaplastic large cell lymphoma-associated t(2;5) translocation in Hodgkin's disease.
Hodgkin's disease (HD) and Ki-1 positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (Ki-1 ALCL) appear pathologically and immunohistochemically related, and a common histogenesis has been postulated in at least some cases. The breakpoints of the t(2;5) (p23;q35) [corrected] translocation, which is reported in about 40% of Ki-1 ALCL, have recently been cloned. They involve a novel tyrosine kinase gene, ALK, at 2p23 and the nucleophosmin gene, NPM, at 5q35. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using NPM and ALK primers consistently detects a fusion product in Ki-1 ALCL cases with the translocation. To determine if this tumor-specific genetic alteration also occurs in HD, we performed NPM-ALK RT-PCR on RNA samples extracted from 40 lymph node biopsies of HD (25 nodular sclerosis, 11 mixed cellularity, 2 lymphocyte depleted, 2 lymphocyte predominant). Using control samples, the sensitivity of the NPM-ALK RT-PCR assay was shown to be at least 1:10(4). Amplifiable template was confirmed in all samples by RT-PCR using beta-actin primers. None of the 40 cases showed the expected 177-bp RT-PCR product indicative of the translocation. We conclude that the most common primary genetic alteration in Ki-1 ALCL, the t(2;5), is absent or very infrequent in typical cases of HD. These results further support the concept that HD and Ki-1 ALCL are pathogenetically distinct entities.
Ladanyi
M
M
Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021.
Cavalchire
G
G
Morris
S W
SW
Downing
J
J
Filippa
D A
DA
D001483:Base Sequence; D001706:Biopsy; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D017728:Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D015335:Molecular Probes / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
D015335:Molecular Probes; D012313:RNA; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase