title: ALK gene copy number gain and its clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the status and clinical significance of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 213 cases of HCC were examined by fluorescent in situ hybridization using dual color break-apart ALK probes for the detection of chromosomal translocation and gene copy number gain. HCC tissue microarrays were constructed, and the correlation between the ALK status and clinicopathological variables was assessed by χ(2) test or Fisher's exact test. Survival analysis was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier approach with a Log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate analyses of clinical variables were performed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ALK gene translocation was not observed in any of the HCC cases included in the present study. ALK gene copy number gain (ALK/CNG) (≥ 4 copies/cell) was detected in 28 (13.15%) of the 213 HCC patients. The 3-year progression-free-survival (PFS) rate for ALK/CNG-positive HCC patients was significantly poorer than ALK/CNG-negative patients (27.3% vs 42.5%, P = 0.048), especially for patients with advanced stage III/IV (0% vs 33.5%, P = 0.007), and patients with grade III disease (24.8% vs 49.9%, P = 0.023). ALK/CNG-positive HCC patients had a significantly poorer prognosis than ALK/CNG-negative patients in the subgroup that was negative for serum hepatitis B virus DNA, with significantly different 3-year overall survival rates (18.2% vs 63.6%, P = 0.021) and PFS rates (18.2% vs 46.9%, P = 0.019). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis suggested that ALK/CNG prevalence can predict death in HCC (HR = 1.596; 95%CI: 1.008-2.526, P = 0.046).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ALK/CNG, but not translocation of ALK, is present in HCC and may be an unfavorable prognostic predictor.
authors.affiliation: Shou-Wei Jia, Hong-Bing Huang, Department of Pharmacy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center on Cancer Medicine; Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Shou-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Shou-Wei Jia, Hong-Bing Huang, Department of Pharmacy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center on Cancer Medicine; Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Sha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Shou-Wei Jia, Hong-Bing Huang, Department of Pharmacy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center on Cancer Medicine; Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shou-Wei Jia, Hong-Bing Huang, Department of Pharmacy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center on Cancer Medicine; Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Shou-Wei Jia, Hong-Bing Huang, Department of Pharmacy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center on Cancer Medicine; Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Bing
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Shou-Wei Jia, Hong-Bing Huang, Department of Pharmacy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center on Cancer Medicine; Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Shao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D056915:DNA Copy Number Variations; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D018628:Gene Dosage; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010641:Phenotype; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C000626173:ALK protein, human; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
keywords: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Prognostic predictor