title: Screening for the FIG-ROS1 fusion in biliary tract carcinomas by nested PCR.
abstract: ROS1 rearrangements have been detected in a variety of tumors and are considered as suitable targets of anticancer therapies. We developed a new, quick, specific, and sensitive PCR test to screen for the FIG-ROS1 fusion and applied it to a series of Italian patients with bile duct carcinoma (BTC). Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues, derived from 65 Italian BTC patients, and six cell lines were analyzed by nested PCR to investigate the prevalence of a previously reported FIG-ROS1 fusion. The specificity and sensitivity of nested PCR were investigated in FIG-ROS1 positive U118MG cells in reconstitution experiments with peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We found that six out of 65 (9%) BTC patients were positive for the FIG-ROS1 fusion, comprising two out of 14 (14%) gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) patients and four out of 25 (16%) extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC) patients. None of the 26 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma cases harbored the FIG-ROS1 fusion. All the cell lines were negative for this variant. In conclusion, 14-16% of GBC and ECC were positive for FIG-ROS1. This may have clinical implications, since these patients will potentially benefit from the treatment with specific ROS1 inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University of Turin Medical School, IRCCS-Candiolo, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peraldo Neia
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cavalloni
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balsamo
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Venesio
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Napoli
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sassi
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Milo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frattini
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aglietta
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Leone
mesh_terms: D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: C577198:FIG-ROS1 fusion protein, human; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion