title: EWS-FLI1 fusion transcripts identified in patients with typical neuroblastoma.
abstract: The t(11.22)(q24.q12) results in expression of a chimeric RNA product, EWS-FLI1. This RNA product is expressed in over 85% of tumours belonging to the Ewing's family, and is increasingly used as a definitive characteristic of these tumours. In this study, we evaluated reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain (RT-PCR) for EWS-FLI1 fusion transcripts in 18 neurally derived small round cell tumours. These included six Ewing's family tumours and 12 neuroblastomas. EWS-FLI1 fusion transcripts were identified in all six Ewing's tumours, but also in two of the 12 neuroblastomas. One neuroblastoma contained the classic type 1 fusion transcript, and the second a type 1 transcript containing a 66 bp (base pair) insert that was not derived from the EWS or FLI1 gene. The presence of EWS-FLI1 fusion products in RNA extracted from primary neuroblastoma suggests the identification of EWS-FLI1 fusion transcripts is not pathognomonic for tumours of the Ewing's family. The clinical significance of these fusion transcripts in neuroblastoma is not known.
authors.affiliation: Candlelighter's Children's Cancer Research Laboratory, St James University Hospital, Leeds, U.K.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Burchill
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wheeldon
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cullinane
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001483:Base Sequence; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D034441:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051789:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-fli-1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D034802:RNA-Binding Protein EWS; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000235:genetics; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics*; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D034441:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D051789:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-fli-1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D034802:RNA-Binding Protein EWS; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D015534:Trans-Activators