title: [ALK protein expression and gene fusion in bronchoscopic specimens of lung adenocarcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore ALK protein expression and gene fusion in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens obtained from lung cancer by bronchoscopy, and to investigate the relationship between ALK status and clinicopathological characteristics of the patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-four FFPE samples obtained from lung adenocarcinoma by bronchoscopy were tested for ALK protein expression and gene fusion respectively by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using Ventana D5F3 antibody and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using ALK break apart probe.
  
  
  RESULTS
  sixty-five of the 74 samples were successfully tested by FISH (87.8%, 65/74) . There were 5 FISH-positive cases (7.7%, 5/65) , all with advanced stage carcinoma. Among these five FISH-positive cases, 3 were IHC-positive (4.1%, 3/74) and 2 IHC-negative cases. All the other 69 samples were IHC-negative, including nine FISH-uninformative samples (7 samples were less than 50 tumor cells and 2 samples with weak FISH signal). Both ALK IHC and FISH results were not correlated with age, sex, history of smoking, histological classification, differentiation and lymph node metastasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bronchoscopic specimens of lung cancer can be used to detect ALK expression and gene fusion. Immunohistochemistry in combination with FISH test may be more favorable for ALK test.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology of Peking Union Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Mengzhao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yufeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Shuying
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shafei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Email: zengxuan88@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077192:Adenocarcinoma of Lung; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D050939:Gene Fusion; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C000626173:ALK protein, human; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases