Gene expression profiling uncovers molecular classifiers for the recognition of anaplastic large-cell lymphoma within peripheral T-cell neoplasms.
OBJECTIVE
To unravel the regulatory network underlying nucleophosmin-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (NPM-ALK) -mediated lymphomagenesis of anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) and to discover diagnostic genomic classifiers for the recognition of patients with ALK-positive and ALK-negative ALCL among T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (T-NHL).


METHODS
The transcriptome of NPM-ALK-positive ALCL cell lines was characterized by silencing the expression of ALK or STAT3, a major effector of ALK oncogenic activity. Gene expression profiling (GEP) was performed in a series of systemic primary T-NHL (n = 70), including a set of ALK-positive and ALK-negative ALCL (n = 36). Genomic classifiers for ALK-positive and ALK-negative ALCL were generated by prediction analyses and validated by quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and/or immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
In ALCL cell lines, two thirds of ALK-regulated genes were concordantly dependent on STAT3 expression. GEP of systemic primary T-NHL significantly clustered ALK-positive ALCL samples in a separate subgroup, underscoring the relevance of in vitro ALK/STAT3 signatures. A set of genomic classifiers for ALK-positive ALCL and for ALCL were identified by prediction analyses. These gene clusters were instrumental for the distinction of ALK-negative ALCL from peripheral T-cell lymphomas not otherwise specified (PTCLs-NOS) and angioimmunoblastic lymphomas.


CONCLUSIONS
We proved that experimentally controlled GEP in ALCL cell lines represents a powerful tool to identify meaningful signaling networks for the recognition of systemic primary T-NHL. The identification of a molecular signature specific for ALCL suggests that these T-NHLs may represent a unique entity discernible from other PTCLs, and that a restricted number of genes can be instrumental for clinical stratification and, possibly, therapy of T-NHL.
Department of Pathology, Center for Experimental Research and Medical Studies, Laboratory of Functional Genomics, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
Roberto
R
Piva
Luca
L
Agnelli
Elisa
E
Pellegrino
Katia
K
Todoerti
Valentina
V
Grosso
Ilaria
I
Tamagno
Alessandro
A
Fornari
Barbara
B
Martinoglio
Enzo
E
Medico
Alberto
A
Zamò
Fabio
F
Facchetti
Maurilio
M
Ponzoni
Eva
E
Geissinger
Andreas
A
Rosenwald
Hans Konrad
HK
Müller-Hermelink
Christiane
C
De Wolf-Peeters
Pier Paolo
PP
Piccaluga
Stefano
S
Pileri
Antonino
A
Neri
Giorgio
G
Inghirami
D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D017728:Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D016411:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral / Q000235:genetics*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D000090243:Nucleophosmin; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D015398:Signal Transduction
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C000716967:NPM1 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D000090243:Nucleophosmin; C000626173:ALK protein, human; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases