title: Expression of ALK protein, mRNA and fusion transcripts in anaplastic large cell lymphoma.
abstract: Systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) can be divided into two subgroups, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive and ALK-negative, based on the expression of ALK protein. Expression of this protein is due to genetic alterations of ALK at 2p23. Overall, observations on ALK protein, ALK mRNA, ALK-associated genetic alterations and their relationships, to one another are not often reported in the literature. In this study, we investigated the expression of ALK protein, mRNA and fusion transcripts involving ALK and their relationships in ALCL and analyzed formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. Forty-five human cases were analyzed with immunohistochemistry for the ALK protein and RT-PCR for ALK mRNA and seven kinds of ALK involved fusion transcripts. Our results showed that the expression of ALK protein, ALK mRNA and ALK fusion transcripts were significantly related to one another (P<0.01). Consistent with the expression of ALK protein, patients presenting with ALK mRNA or ALK involved fusion transcripts were significantly younger than those lacking ALK gene alteration (P<0.01). This study demonstrates expression of both ALK protein and ALK mRNA are positively correlated with expression of ALK-associated fusion transcripts. Combined detection of ALK protein, ALK mRNA and ALK fusion transcripts can complement each other to aid in the diagnosis of ALCL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical Collage, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wentao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xiaoqiu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Yongming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Baizhou
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Weiqi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: Hongfen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Aiping
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017728:Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C000626173:ALK protein, human; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases