Diagnostic Performance of a Tumor Marker Gene Test to Personalize Serum CA19-9 Reference Ranges.

PURPOSE: CA19-9 synthesis is influenced by common variants in the fucosyltransferase (FUT) enzymes FUT3 and FUT2. We developed a clinical test to detect FUT variants, and evaluated its diagnostic performance for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A representative set of controls from the Cancer of the Pancreas Screening study was identified for each FUT functional group. Diagnostic sensitivity was determined first in a testing set of 234 PDAC cases, followed by a 134-case validation set, all of whom had undergone resection with curative intent without neoadjuvant therapy. Tumor marker gene testing was performed in the Johns Hopkins Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory. CA19-9 levels were measured in the Hopkins Clinical Chemistry lab. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the discriminative ability of CA19-9 alone versus with the gene test. RESULTS: Applying the CA19-9 standard cutoff (<36 U/mL) to all 716 subjects yielded a 68.8% sensitivity in the test set of cases, 67.2% in the validation set, at 91.4% specificity. Applying 99th percentile cutoffs according to each individual's FUT group (3, 34.9, 41.8, and 89.2, for the FUT3-null, FUT-low, FUT-intermediate, and FUT-high groups, respectively) yielded a diagnostic sensitivity for CA19-9 in the first set of cases of 66.7%, 65.7% in the validation set, at 98.9% specificity. ROC analysis for CA19-9 alone yielded an AUC of 0.84; with the tumor marker gene test, AUC improved to 0.92 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Using a tumor marker gene test to personalize an individual's CA19-9 reference range significantly improves diagnostic accuracy.

Loss of p57 Expression in Conceptions Other Than Complete Hydatidiform Mole: A Case Series With Emphasis on the Etiology, Genetics, and Clinical Significance.

Combined p57 immunohistochemistry and DNA genotyping refines classification of products of conception specimens into specific types of hydatidiform moles and various nonmolar entities that can simulate them. p57 expression is highly correlated with genotyping and in practice can reliably be used to identify virtually all complete hydatidiform moles (CHM), but aberrant retained or lost p57 expression in rare CHMs and partial hydatidiform moles (PHM), as well as loss in some nonmolar abortuses, has been reported. Among a series of 2329 products of conceptions, we identified 10 cases for which loss of p57 expression was inconsistent with genotyping results (none purely androgenetic). They displayed a spectrum of generally mild abnormal villous morphology but lacked better developed features of CHMs/early CHMs, although some did suggest subtle forms of the latter. For 5 cases, genotyping (4 cases) and/or ancillary testing (1 case) determined a mechanism for the aberrant p57 results. These included 3 PHMs-2 diandric triploid and 1 triandric tetraploid-and 1 nonmolar specimen with loss of p57 expression attributable to partial or complete loss of the maternal copy of chromosome 11 and 1 nonmolar specimen with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. For 5 cases, including 2 diandric triploid PHMs and 3 biparental nonmolar specimens, genotyping did not identify a mechanism, likely due to other genetic alterations which are below the resolution of or not targeted by genotyping. While overdiagnosis of a PHM as a CHM may cause less harm since appropriate follow-up with serum ß-human chorionic gonadotropin levels would take place for both diagnoses, this could cause longer than necessary follow-up due to the expectation of a much greater risk of persistent gestational trophoblastic disease for CHM compared with PHM, which would be unfounded for the correct diagnosis of PHM. Overdiagnosis of a nonmolar abortus with loss of p57 expression as a CHM would lead to unnecessary follow-up and restriction on pregnancy attempts for patients with infertility. Genotyping is valuable for addressing discordance between p57 expression and morphology but cannot elucidate certain mechanisms of lost p57 expression. Future studies are warranted to determine whether chromosomal losses or gains, particularly involving imprinted genes such as p57, might play a role in modifying the risk of persistent gestational trophoblastic disease for PHMs and nonmolar conceptions that are not purely androgenetic but have some abnormal paternal imprinting of the type seen in CHMs.

Clinical Validation of Coexisting Activating Mutations Within EGFR, Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase, and Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Pathways in Lung Cancers.

CONTEXT.­: Mutations within the same signature transduction pathway are redundant and, therefore, most are mutually exclusive. Laboratory errors, however, may introduce unexpected coexisting mutations. OBJECTIVE.­: To validate coexisting mutations within epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), mitogen-activated protein kinase, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathways. DESIGN.­: In this retrospective study for quality assessment of next-generation sequencing in a clinical diagnostics setting, coexisting mutations within EGFR, KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, AKT1, and PIK3CA genes were examined in 1208 non-small cell lung cancers. RESULTS.­: EGFR mutations did not coexist with BRAF mutations, neither kinase-activated nor kinase-impaired mutations. There was a low but similar incidence (3.3%-5.1%) of PIK3CA mutations in BRAF-, EGFR-, and KRAS-mutated lung cancers and a rare incidence of coexisting KRAS and EGFR mutations detected in 1 of 1208 lung cancers (0.08%) or 1 of 226 EGFR-mutated lung cancers (0.4%). Coexisting BRAF p.V600E mutation was observed in 3 of 4 AKT1 p.E17K-mutated lung cancers. Mutational profiling of DNA reisolated from subareas with the same or different histomorphology, using an alternative assay, confirmed that coexisting mutations might present within the same (whole or subclonal) population or different populations and clarified that the so-called coexisting activating KRAS and BRAF mutations originally reported in a specimen were indeed present in separate lung nodules submitted in the same block. CONCLUSIONS.­: The results supported that EGFR and BRAF mutations are early driver mutations in lung cancers. Guidelines from official organizations to establish standard operating procedures are warranted to validate unexpected coexisting mutations and, if clinically indicated, to determine their presence in the same or different tumor populations.

Validation Strategy for Ultrasensitive Mutation Detection.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasensitive detection of low-abundance DNA point mutations is a challenging molecular biology problem, because nearly identical mutant and wild-type molecules exhibit crosstalk. Reliable ultrasensitive point mutation detection will facilitate early detection of cancer and therapeutic monitoring of cancer patients. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to develop a method to correct errors in low-level cell line mixes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We tested sample mixes with digital-droplet PCR (ddPCR) and next-generation sequencing. RESULTS: We introduced two corrections: baseline variant allele frequency (VAF) in the parental cell line was used to correct for copy number variation; and haplotype counting was used to correct errors in cell counting and pipetting. We found ddPCR to have better correlation for detecting low-level mutations without applying any correction (R2 = 0.80) and be more linear after introducing both corrections (R2 = 0.99). CONCLUSIONS: The VAF correction was found to be more significant than haplotype correction. It is imperative that various technologies be evaluated against each other and laboratories be provided with defined quality control samples for proficiency testing.

Clinical mutational profiling of 1006 lung cancers by next generation sequencing.

Analysis of lung adenocarcinomas for actionable mutations has become standard of care. Here, we report our experience using next generation sequencing (NGS) to examine AKT1, BRAF, EGFR, ERBB2, KRAS, NRAS, and PIK3CA genes in 1006 non-small cell lung cancers in a clinical diagnostic setting. NGS demonstrated high sensitivity. Among 760 mutations detected, the variant allele frequency (VAF) was 2-5% in 33 (4.3%) mutations and 2-10% in 101 (13%) mutations. A single bioinformatics pipeline using Torrent Variant Caller, however, missed a variety of EGFR mutations. Mutations were detected in KRAS (36% of tumors), EGFR (19%) including 8 (0.8%) within the extracellular domain (4 at codons 108 and 4 at codon 289), BRAF (6.3%), and PIK3CA (3.7%). With a broader reportable range, exon 19 deletion and p.L858R accounted for only 36% and 26% of EGFR mutations and p.V600E accounted for only 24% of BRAF mutations. NGS provided accurate sequencing of complex mutations seen in 19% of EGFR exon 19 deletion mutations. Doublet (compound) EGFR mutations were observed in 29 (16%) of 187 EGFR-mutated tumors, including 69% with two non-p.L858R missense mutations and 24% with p.L858 and non-p.L858R missense mutations. Concordant VAFs suggests doublet EGFR mutations were present in a dominant clone and cooperated in oncogenesis. Mutants with predicted impaired kinase, observed in 25% of BRAF-mutated tumors, were associated with a higher incidence of concomitant activating KRAS mutations. NGS demonstrates high analytic sensitivity, broad reportable range, quantitative VAF measurement, single molecule sequencing to resolve complex deletion mutations, and simultaneous detection of concomitant mutations.

Haplotype Counting for Sensitive Chimerism Testing: Potential for Early Leukemia Relapse Detection.

Fields of forensics, transplantation, and paternity rely on human identity testing. Currently, this is accomplished through amplification of microsatellites followed by capillary electrophoresis. An alternative and theoretically better approach uses multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms located within a small region of DNA, a method we initially developed using HLA-A and called haplotype counting. Herein, we validated seven additional polymorphic loci, sequenced a total of 45 individuals from three of the 1000 Genomes populations (15 from each), and determined the number of haplotypes, heterozygosity, and polymorphic information content for each locus. In addition, we developed a multiplex PCR that amplifies five of these loci simultaneously. Using this strategy with a small cohort of leukemic patients who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, we first attempted to define a threshold (0.26% recipient) by examining seven patients who tested all donor and did not relapse. Although this initial threshold will need to be confirmed in a larger cohort, we detected increased recipient DNA above this threshold 90 to 145 days earlier than microsatellite positivity, and 127 to 142 days before clinical relapse in four of eight patients (50%). Haplotype counting using these novel loci may be useful for ultrasensitive detection in fields such as bone marrow transplantation, solid organ transplant rejection, patient identification, and forensics.

Whole-Exome Sequencing of Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma Indicates Monoclonality with Associated Ductal Carcinoma Component.

Purpose: Although most human cancers display a single histology, there are unusual cases where two or more distinct tissue types present within a primary tumor. One such example is metaplastic breast carcinoma, a rare but aggressive cancer with a heterogeneous histology, including squamous, chondroid, and spindle cells. Metaplastic carcinomas often contain an admixed conventional ductal invasive or in situ mammary carcinoma component, and are typically triple-negative for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER-2 amplification/overexpression. An unanswered question is the origin of metaplastic breast cancers. While they may arise independently from their ductal components, their close juxtaposition favors a model that postulates a shared origin, either as two derivatives from the same primary cancer or one histology as an outgrowth of the other. Understanding the mechanism of development of these tumors may inform clinical decisions.Experimental Design: We performed exome sequencing for paired metaplastic and adjacent conventional invasive ductal carcinomas in 8 patients and created a pipeline to identify somatic variants and predict their functional impact, without having normal tissue. We then determined the genetic relationships between the histologically distinct compartments.Results: In each case, the tumor components have nearly identical landscapes of somatic mutation, implying that the differing histologies do not derive from genetic clonal divergence.Conclusions: A shared origin for tumors with differing histologies suggests that epigenetic or noncoding changes may mediate the metaplastic phenotype and that alternative therapeutic approaches, including epigenetic therapies, may be required for metaplastic breast cancers. Clin Cancer Res; 23(16); 4875-84. ©2017 AACR.

Clinical mutational profiling of bone metastases of lung and colon carcinoma and malignant melanoma using next-generation sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Bone is a common metastatic site for solid tumors and is often the only source for molecular testing. Current routine decalcification protocols for the processing of bone specimens damage nucleic acids, leading to a high failure rate. METHODS: In this retrospective quality-assessment analysis, preanalytic factors that contributed to the failure of mutational profiling in metastatic bone specimens were evaluated using a next-generation sequencing assay. RESULTS: Mutational profiling was conducted in 33 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded bone lesions that were submitted to a clinical laboratory. Adequate depth of coverage was obtained in 21 specimens, of which, 16 had mutations detected. "No results" were reported in 12 specimens because the NGS assay failed. There was a significantly higher failure rate in bone specimens compared with nonbone specimens (36% vs 2.3%, respectively). Although nonbone specimens had a higher failure rate in biopsy/fine-needle aspiration (FNA) specimens, in-house bone biopsy/FNA specimens with or without short-duration surface decalcification had a lower failure rate than resected bone specimens (11% vs 60%, respectively). The high failure rate in resected metastatic bone specimens was associated with regular decalcification but not with low DNA input. CONCLUSIONS: Next-generation sequencing assays demonstrated clinical utility in metastatic bone specimens. FNA (smear and cell block) and core-biopsy specimens provided adequate resources of nucleic acids for molecular profiling of metastatic bone lesions. The current findings suggest the need for developing specific tissue procurement and processing protocols for bone metastases and greater use of small biopsy and FNA specimens. Cancer Cytopathol 2016;124:744-53. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Invasive Complete Hydatidiform Moles: Analysis of a Case Series With Genotyping.

Complete hydatidiform moles (CHM) are purely androgenetic conceptions, with most (∼85%) arising from fertilization of an egg lacking maternal DNA by a single sperm that duplicates (homozygous/monospermic 46,XX) and a small subset arising via fertilization by 2 sperms (heterozygous/dispermic 46,XY or 46,XX). It remains controversial if heterozygous/dispermic CHMs have a significantly greater risk of persistent gestational trophoblastic disease. Analysis of zygosity of CHMs with and without invasion at presentation, including invasive CHMs with concurrent atypical trophoblastic proliferations concerning for or consistent with choriocarcinoma, has not been specifically addressed. In a prospective series of 1024 products of conception specimens subjected to immunohistochemical analysis of p57 expression and molecular genotyping with short tandem-repeat markers, 288 CHMs were diagnosed, of which 126 were genotyped, including 16 invasive CHMs. Zygosity was compared between those with and without invasion. Of the 16 study cases, 12 (75%) were homozygous/monospermic XX and 4 (25%) were heterozygous/dispermic (3 XY and 1 XX). Of the 110 genotyped noninvasive CHMs, 96 (87%) were homozygous/monospermic XX and 14 (13%) were heterozygous/dispermic (12 XY, 2 XX). Comparison of the zygosity results for the invasive CHMs (study group) with the noninvasive CHMs in the database did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference (P=0.24, Fisher exact test). In addition, of the 3 cases associated with metastatic gestational trophoblastic disease (pulmonary nodules) at presentation, 2 were homozygous/monospermic XX, indicating that this form is not without risk of significant gestational trophoblastic disease. Thus, the current study has demonstrated a higher frequency of heterozygous/dispermic CHMs among invasive cases compared with those lacking invasion, but does not support the use of zygosity data for risk assessment of CHMs. A persistent, unresolved diagnostic challenge identified in some invasive CHMs is interpretation of accompanying florid atypical trophoblastic proliferations which raise concern for choriocarcinoma. Future studies should address the need for reproducible diagnostic criteria and molecular biomarkers for distinguishing florid hyperplastic from malignant neoplastic trophoblastic proliferations.

PD-L1 expression in melanocytic lesions does not correlate with the BRAF V600E mutation.

PD-L1 expression in melanoma correlates with response to PD-1 pathway-blocking antibodies. Aberrant tumor-cell PD-L1 expression may be oncogene driven and/or induced by IFNγ. Melanomas express PD-L1 in association with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), but the potential contribution of the BRAF V600E mutation (BRAFmut) to induced PD-L1 expression has not been determined. Fifty-two archival melanocytic lesions were assessed for PD-L1 expression, TIL infiltration, and BRAFmut simultaneously. IFNγ-induced PD-L1 expression in cultured melanomas was assessed in parallel according to BRAF status. Melanocyte PD-L1 expression was observed in 40% of specimens, and BRAFmut was observed in 42% of specimens, but no significant concordance was found between these variables. Almost all melanocytes displaying PD-L1 expression were observed to be adjacent to TILs, irrespective of BRAF status. TIL(-) lesions were not more likely to be associated with BRAFmut, when compared with TIL(+) lesions. Baseline expression of PD-L1 by melanoma cell lines was virtually nil, regardless of BRAFmut status, and the intensity of IFN-induced PD-L1 expression in melanoma cell lines likewise did not correlate with BRAF mutational status. PD-L1 expression in melanocytic lesions does not correlate with the BRAFmut. Thus, distinct populations of melanoma patients will likely benefit from BRAF inhibitors versus PD-1 pathway blockade.

Haplotype counting by next-generation sequencing for ultrasensitive human DNA detection.

Human identity testing is critical to the fields of forensics, paternity, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Most bone marrow (BM) engraftment testing currently uses microsatellites or short tandem repeats that are resolved by capillary electrophoresis. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are theoretically a better choice among polymorphic DNA; however, ultrasensitive detection of SNPs using next-generation sequencing is currently not possible because of its inherently high error rate. We circumvent this problem by analyzing blocks of closely spaced SNPs, or haplotypes. As proof-of-principle, we chose the HLA-A locus because it is highly polymorphic and is already genotyped to select proper donors for BM transplant recipients. We aligned common HLA-A alleles and identified a region containing 18 closely spaced SNPs, flanked by nonpolymorphic DNA for primer placement. Analysis of cell line mixtures shows that the assay is accurate and precise, and has a lower limit of detection of approximately 0.01%. The BM from a series of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients who tested as all donor by short tandem repeat analysis demonstrated 0% to 1.5% patient DNA. Comprehensive analysis of the human genome using the 1000 Genomes database identified many additional loci that could be used for this purpose. This assay may prove useful to identify hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients destined to relapse, microchimerism associated with solid organ transplantation, forensic applications, and possibly patient identification.

False positives in multiplex PCR-based next-generation sequencing have unique signatures.

Next-generation sequencing shows great promise by allowing rapid mutational analysis of multiple genes in human cancers. Recently, we implemented the multiplex PCR-based Ion AmpliSeq Cancer Hotspot Panel (>200 amplicons in 50 genes) to evaluate EGFR, KRAS, and BRAF in lung and colorectal adenocarcinomas. In 10% of samples, automated analysis identified a novel G873R substitution mutation in EGFR. By examining reads individually, we found this mutation in >5% of reads in 50 of 291 samples and also found similar events in 18 additional amplicons. These apparent mutations are present only in short reads and within 10 bases of either end of the read. We therefore hypothesized that these were from panel primers promiscuously binding to nearly complementary sequences of nontargeted amplicons. Sequences around the mutations matched primer binding sites in the panel in 18 of 19 cases, thus likely corresponding to panel primers. Furthermore, because most primers did not show this effect, we demonstrated that next-generation sequencing may be used to better design multiplex PCR primers through iterative elimination of offending primers to minimize mispriming. Our results indicate the need for careful sequence analysis to avoid false-positive mutations that can arise in multiplex PCR panels. The AmpliSeq Cancer panel is a valuable tool for clinical diagnostics, provided awareness of potential artifacts.

Clinical validation of KRAS, BRAF, and EGFR mutation detection using next-generation sequencing.

OBJECTIVES: To validate next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology for clinical diagnosis and to determine appropriate read depth. METHODS: We validated the KRAS, BRAF, and EGFR genes within the Ion AmpliSeq Cancer Hotspot Panel using the Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine (Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA). RESULTS: We developed a statistical model to determine the read depth needed for a given percent tumor cellularity and number of functional genomes. Bottlenecking can result from too few input genomes. By using 16 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) cancer-free specimens and 118 cancer specimens with known mutation status, we validated the six traditional analytic performance characteristics recommended by the Next-Generation Sequencing: Standardization of Clinical Testing Working Group. Baseline noise is consistent with spontaneous and FFPE-induced C:G→T:A deamination mutations. CONCLUSIONS: Redundant bioinformatic pipelines are essential, since a single analysis pipeline gave false-negative and false-positive results. NGS is sufficiently robust for the clinical detection of gene mutations, with attention to potential artifacts.

BRAF pyrosequencing analysis aided by a lookup table.

OBJECTIVES: BRAF mutations have substantial therapeutic, diagnostic, and prognostic significance, so detecting and specifying them is an important part of the workload of molecular pathology laboratories. Pyrosequencing assays are well suited for this analysis but can produce complex results. Therefore, we introduce a pyrosequencing lookup table based on Pyromaker that assists the user in generating hypotheses for solving complex pyrosequencing results. METHODS: The lookup table contains all known mutations in the sequenced region and the positions in the dispensation sequence at which changes would occur with those mutations. We demonstrate the lookup table using a homebrew dispensation sequence for BRAF codons 596 to 605 as well as a commercially available kit-based dispensation sequence for codons 599 to 600. RESULTS: These results demonstrate that the homebrew dispensation sequence unambiguously identifies all known BRAF mutations in this region, whereas the kit-based dispensation sequence has one unresolvable degeneracy that could be solved with the addition of two injections. CONCLUSIONS: Using the lookup table and confirmatory virtual pyrogram, we unambiguously solved clinical pyrograms of the complex mutations V600K (c.1798_1799delGTinsAA), V600R (c.1798_1799delGTinsAG), V600D (c.1799_1800delTGinsAT), V600E (c.1799_1800delTGinsAA), and V600_K601delinsE (c.1799_1801delTGA). In addition, we used the approach to hypothesize and confirm a new mutation in human melanoma, V600_K601delinsEI (c.1799_1802delTGAAinsAAAT).

Microsatellite instability confounds engraftment analysis of hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.

Polymorphic short tandem-repeat, or microsatellite, loci have been widely used to analyze chimerism status after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. In molecular diagnostic laboratories, it is recommended to calculate mixed chimerism for at least 2 informative loci and to avoid microsatellite loci on chromosomes with copy number changes. In this report, we show that microsatellite instability observed in 2 patients with acute leukemia may confound chimerism analysis. Interpretation errors may occur even if 2 to 3 loci are analyzed because of length variation in multiple microsatellite loci. Although microsatellite loci with length variation should not be selected for chimerism analysis, the presence of microsatellite instability, like copy number alteration because of aberrant chromosomes, provides evidence of recurrent or residual cancer cells after hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.

Characteristics of hydatidiform moles: analysis of a prospective series with p57 immunohistochemistry and molecular genotyping.

Immunohistochemical analysis of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1C (CDKN1C, p57, Kip2) expression and molecular genotyping accurately classify hydatidiform moles into complete and partial types and distinguish these from non-molar specimens. Characteristics of a prospective series of all potentially molar specimens encountered in a large gynecologic pathology practice are summarized. Initially, all specimens were subjected to both analyses; this was later modified to triage cases for genotyping based on p57 results: p57-negative cases diagnosed as complete hydatidiform moles without genotyping; all p57-positive cases genotyped. Of the 678 cases, 645 were definitively classified as complete hydatidiform mole (201), partial hydatidiform mole (158), non-molar (272), and androgenetic/biparental mosaic (14); 33 were unsatisfactory, complex, or problematic. Of the 201 complete hydatidiform moles, 104 were p57-negative androgenetic and an additional 95 were p57-negative (no genotyping), 1 was p57-positive (retained maternal chromosome 11) androgenetic, and 1 was p57-non-reactive androgenetic; 90 (85%) of the 106 genotyped complete hydatidiform moles were monospermic and 16 were dispermic. Of the 158 partial hydatidiform moles, 155 were diandric triploid, with 154 p57-positive, 1 p57-negative (loss of maternal chromosome 11), and 1 p57-non-reactive; 3 were triandric tetraploid, with 2 p57-positive and 1 p57-negative (loss of maternal chromosome 11). Of 155 diandric triploid partial hydatidiform moles, 153 (99%) were dispermic and 2 were monospermic. Of the 272 non-molar specimens, 259 were p57-positive biparental diploid, 5 were p57-positive digynic triploid, 2 were p57-negative biparental diploid (no morphological features of biparental hydatidiform mole), and 6 were p57-non-reactive biparental diploid. Of the 14 androgenetic/biparental mosaics with discordant p57 expression, 6 were uniformly mosaic and 8 had a p57-negative androgenetic molar component. p57 expression is highly correlated with genotyping, serves as a reliable marker for diagnosis of complete hydatidiform moles, and identifies androgenetic cell lines in mosaic conceptions. Cases with aberrant and discordant p57 expression can be correctly classified by genotyping.

The frequency of KRAS and BRAF mutations in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas and their correlation with clinical outcome.

The incidence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is increasing worldwide. The prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is poor, and a better understanding of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma tumor biology is needed to more accurately predict clinical outcome and to suggest potential targets for more effective therapies. v-Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) and BRAF are frequently mutated oncogenes that promote carcinogenesis in a variety of tumor types. In this study, we analyze a large set of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma tumors (n = 54) for mutations in these genes and compare the clinical outcomes of wild type versus KRAS and BRAF mutant cases. Of 54 cases, 7.4% were mutant for KRAS, 7.4% were mutant for BRAF, and these were mutually exclusive. These mutant cases were associated with a higher tumor stage at time of resection and a greater likelihood of lymph node involvement. These cases were also associated with a worse long-term overall survival. Therefore, testing for KRAS and BRAF mutations could be a valuable adjunct in improving both prognosis and outcome stratification among patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Tandem duplication PCR: an ultrasensitive assay for the detection of internal tandem duplications of the FLT3 gene.

Internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations of the FLT3 gene have been associated with a poor prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia. Detection of ITD-positive minor clones at the initial diagnosis and during the minimal residual disease stage may be essential. We previously designed a delta-PCR strategy to improve the sensitivity to 0.1% ITD-positive leukemia cells and showed that minor mutants with an allele burden of <1% can be clinically significant. In this study, we report on tandem duplication PCR (TD-PCR), a modified inverse PCR assay, and demonstrate a limit of detection of a few molecules of ITD mutants. The TD-PCR was initially designed to confirm ITD mutation of an amplicon, which was undetectable by capillary electrophoresis and was incidentally isolated by a molecular fraction collecting tool. Subsequently, TD-PCR detected ITD mutation in 2 of 77 patients previously reported as negative for ITD mutation by a standard PCR assay. TD-PCR can also potentially be applied to monitor minimal residual disease with high analytic sensitivity in a portion of ITD-positive acute myeloid leukemia patients. Further studies using TD-PCR to detect ITD mutants at diagnosis may clarify the clinical significance of those ITD mutants with extremely low allele burden.

Detection of minor clones with internal tandem duplication mutations of FLT3 gene in acute myeloid leukemia using delta-PCR.

Internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations of the FLT3 gene have been associated with inferior prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia. Detection of minor clones or minimal residual clones with ITD mutations is desirable, but is challenging when the mutant signal determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and capillary electrophoresis is weak. In this study, we applied delta-PCR, which is a triple-primer strategy, to ensure PCR specificity and improve the sensitivity to 0.1% leukemic cells with ITD mutation. We also applied a reference peak to calculate ITD allelic burdens of <2% threshold of technical limitation for evaluating the relative ratio of 2 signals by capillary electrophoresis. Delta-PCR was able to detect single or multiple ITD mutations with an allelic burden (peak height ratio of mutant allele and wild-type allele) ranging from 0.4% to >100% among all 31 cases with previous documented ITD mutations. In one of the 3 cases with previously reported negative ITD mutation in the initial diagnostic specimen and ITD-positive results in the follow-up specimens, an ITD of 0.04% allele burden was retrospectively detected in the initial diagnosis specimen using delta-PCR. We also demonstrated that minor ITD mutant clones with an allelic burden of <1% present at diagnosis may become a dominant clone at the later refractory status, suggesting that detection of leukemic clones with allelic burdens of <1% may be clinically significant. Delta-PCR can detect ITD mutations with improved sensitivity and specificity and may be useful for the detection of minimal residual leukemia.