title: TGFα expression in myeloid malignancies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transforming growth factor α (TGFα) is a peptide growth factor known to be expressed in normal haemopoiesis. It is also expressed in a range of epithelial neoplasms but has not been assessed in haemopoietic malignancies. We have performed an immunohistochemical evaluation of TGFα in acute and chronic myeloid malignancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  TGFα expression was semiquantitatively assessed in 69 normal bone marrow trephines and 157 cases of myeloid malignancy using an immunohistochemical approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Blast cells of myeloid origin in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), myelodysplasia and accelerated and blast phases of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) were TGFα positive. In acute promyelocytic leukaemia the neoplastic cells had significantly weaker TGFα expression than seen in other forms of AML. The blast cells in CML-accelerated and blast phases were positive with similar expression to AML.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TGFα is expressed in neoplastic myeloblasts and could, therefore, be used as blast cell biomarker in diagnostic haematopathology. In addition, TGFα immunohistochemistry may be of use in identifying a therapeutic target.
authors.affiliation: Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5809-2882
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kavanagh
authors.affiliation: Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Bob
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mirzai
authors.affiliation: Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.affiliation: Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Wendy N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Erber
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000473:pathology; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009196:Myeloproliferative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C587886:TGFA protein, human; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha
keywords: HAEMATO-ONCOLOGY; HAEMATOPATHOLOGY; IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY