title: [Frequency and transcript variant analysis of gene fusions between TMPRSS2 and ETS transcription factor genes in prostate cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the frequencies and types of fusions between the transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), ETS-related gene (ERG), ETS variant-1 (ETV1), and ETS variant-4 (ETV4) genes in prostate cancer (PCa) and significance thereof.
  
  
  METHODS
  Biopsy samples of prostate were obtained under transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) from 32 PCa patients, aged (74 +/- 8) and 34 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Nested RT-PCR and direct DNA sequencing were used to detect the fusion genes of TMPRSS2/ERG, TMPRSS2/ETV1, and TMPRSS2/ETV4. The association between the fusion-positive tumor rate and Gleason grading was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 32 PCa patients, TMPRSS2/ERG fusion was detected in 17 cases (53.1%), including 5 variant fusion transcripts one of which was newly discovered with the GenBank accession number of EU090248. TMPRSS2/ETV1 fusion was detected in only 2 cases (6.3%), including one newly discovered variant fusion transcripts with the GenBank accession number of EU090249. TMPRSS2/ETV4 fusion was not detected. The positive rates of TMPRSS2/ERG and TMPRSS2/ETV1 fusions showed no statistical association with the Gleason grade (P = 0.169). No fusion between the TMPRSS2 and ETS transcription factor genes was detected in the 34 BPH samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TMPRSS2/ERG and TMPRS22/ETV1 fusion genes with different subtypes exist in the tissues of PCa. TMPRSS2/ERG and TMPRSS2/ETV1 fusion genes may be used as diagnostic tools for PCa.
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325000, China.
authors.forename: Mei-Jie
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Li-Li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yan-Bo
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhi-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Zhi-Liang
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Xiu-Ling
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Cheng-Di
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhan-Guo
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shao-Bo
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001483:Base Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D050596:Oncogene Fusion; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C421305:TMPRSS2 protein, human