title: [Alterations of ALK gene and protein expression in prostatic cancer and its clinical significance].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate ALK genomic rearrangements and expression in prostate cancer, and their clinical implications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and eighty-one cases of prostate cancer were included. ALK gene rearrangements were assessed by FISH in all cases, and ALK protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 191 cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ALK gene was truncated (mostly 5' deletion) in 18 of 281 (6.4%) cases. EML4-ALK fusion gene was not detected. Genomic rearrangement of ALK gene was not statistically associated with Gleason score, age, TNM or baseline PSA level (P > 0.05). In all 18 cases, there were nuclear expression of ALK protein; in 12 cases, the expression was seen in 5%-30% of the tumor cells, and in the remaining 6 cases, the expression was seen in < 5% of the tumor cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ALK gene rearrangements occurred in 6.4%, of prostate cancer, and these may not be associated with disease progressions. The ALK protein expresses in the nucleus. The EML4-ALK fusion gene was not found in prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
authors.forename: Rongrong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China; E-mail: yyawwayy@126.com.
authors.forename: Guoping
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
authors.forename: Yanling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; C000626173:ALK protein, human; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases