title: MCL-1 expression in B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.
abstract: B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are known to express BCL-2 family proteins, of which the myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1) protein is a member. MCL-1 is involved in viability and immortalization of normal and neoplastic B cells, and expression is regulated transcriptionally and posttranscriptionally, resulting in an anti-apoptotic (full length) or a pro-apoptotic (short isoform) gene product. In this study, we assessed 151 B-cell lymphomas for MCL-1 expression and analyzed for expression of the full-length and short isoforms of MCL-1 in B-cell lymphoma cell lines. By using immunohistochemistry, a subset of neoplasms in 9 lymphoma types studied expressed MCL-1, but expression was more frequent and intense in high-grade (43 of 49, 88%) compared with low-grade (34 of 92, 37%) lymphomas (P < 0.0001). In follicular lymphomas, MCL-1 expression positively correlated with increasing grade; 1 (14%) of eight grade 1, 7 (70%) of ten grade 2, and all 9 (100%) grade 3 were positive (P < 0.0008). All plasma cell myeloma cases assessed were also MCL-1 positive. By using Western blot analysis, 6 of 7 high-grade B-cell lymphoma cell lines showed predominant expression of full-length MCL-1, compared with no or weak expression of the short isoform. One myeloma and 1 of 2 mantle cell lymphoma cell lines also tested showed only full-length isoform expression. Our data suggest that MCL-1 is frequently expressed in high-grade B-cell lymphomas and plasma cell myeloma, most likely in its full-length isoform that is an active anti-apoptotic gene product. MCL-1 expression also correlates with grade and may contribute to transformation in follicular lymphomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Jeong Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cho-Vega
authors.forename: George Z
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Rassidakis
authors.forename: Joan H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Admirand
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oyarzo
authors.forename: Preetha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ramalingam
authors.forename: Aris
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paraguya
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: McDonnell
authors.forename: Hesham M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.forename: L Jeffrey
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Medeiros
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2