ALK and c-myc gene of anaplastic large cell lymphoma / 白血病·淋巴瘤

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the molecular genetic changes of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene and c-myc gene in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Methods The structural aberrations and changes of copy numbers in ALK and c-myc genes in 72 paraffin-embedded ALCL specimens were detected by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Results Among 72 ALCL specimens, ALK protein was expressed in 42, ALK gene translocation was detected in 40 specimens in which extra copies of ALK gene were detected in 17. ALK gene translocation was not found in all 30 ALK negative specimens, but extra copies of ALK gene were detected in 14 cases. The difference of incidence rates of extra copies in ALK gene between ALK positive and ALK negative specimens was not significant (P＞0.05). c-myc gene translocation was not found in any of 72 ALCL specimens, but extra copies were detected in 24 cases.Conclusion Most (75.0%) ALCL have ALK gene aberration, in which ALK gene translocations are most common (55.6%), and the extra copies of ALK gene are relatively common genetic changes (43.1%). The ALK gene aberration is only detected in ALK positive ALCL and the gene translocations are in either ALK positive and negative ALCL. There is no or rare c-myc gene translocation in ALCL, but extra copies of c-myc gene are relatively common (33.3%).