[The expression of ALK protein and Epstein-Barr virus gene products in anaplastic large cell lymphoma and its significance].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the characteristic of ALK protein expression in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and the relationship between ALCL and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).


METHODS
Histopathological method was used to study the morphological characteristic. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect ALK protein and other antigen. EBV-encoded EBER was detected by in situ hybridization.


RESULTS
All 2 cases of primary cutaneous ALCL were ALK protein negative. 20 cases of systemic ALCL were found to be ALK protein positive in 12 cases (60%), which included 8 cases of common variant, 3 cases of lymphohistiocytic variant and 1 case of small cell variant; the expression of ALK protein showed no significant difference between these 3 variants (P>0.05). The ALK protein expression pattern was characterized by the brown-stained nucleus and cytoplasm of the cells, but in 2 cases only the cytoplasm was stained. The patients with ALK protein expression were younger than those without ALK protein expression (P<0.05); all 22 cases were EBER negative.


CONCLUSIONS
High incidence of the expression of ALK protein was seen in ALCL, especially in ALCL of younger patients. No relationship was observed between EBV and ALCL in this study.
Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Hai-yan
HY
Li
Gan-di
GD
Li
Wei-ping
WP
Liu
Feng-yuan
FY
Li
Dian-ying
DY
Liao
Xiao-jin
XJ
He
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
C099537:Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA 1; D012367:RNA, Viral; C000626173:ALK protein, human; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases