Improved polymerase chain reaction-based method to detect early-stage epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma (mycosis fungoides) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded skin biopsy specimens of the dog.

In the dog, early-stage epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma (ETCL) can clinically and histologically mimic a large range of inflammatory dermatoses and often progresses rapidly to a more aggressive tumor stage. Early diagnosis of ETCL is essential to proceed with a specific oncologic therapy that is favorable for the prognosis. In the present study, an improved method for the detection of T-cell receptor gamma (TCRgamma) rearrangement was developed by designing a new set of consensus primers to amplify the different forms of rearranged canine TCRgamma gene sequences by polymerase chain reaction.

Associations of serum EBV DNA and gammopathy with post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease.

Background: Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is a life-threatening complication of immunosuppression following transplantation. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and gammopathy in serum are associated with PTLD, but these two parameters have not been evaluated in parallel for their association with PTLD.

Methods: We evaluated the incidence of EBV load positivity, gammopathy, and protein expression in sera from all PTLD patients diagnosed at our hospital during the past seven yr.

MBD2-mediated transcriptional repression of the p14ARF tumor suppressor gene in human colon cancer cells.

Objective: The p14(ARF) and p16(INK4A) tumor suppressor genes are commonly inactivated by aberrant methylation of their promoter regions in human colon cancer. The methyl-CpG-binding domain protein MBD2 is physically associated with the methylated promoters of the p14(ARF) and p16(INK4A) genes in specific tumor cell lines. Moreover, deficiency of MBD2 strongly inhibits intestinal tumorigenesis in the Min mouse, raising the possibility that the protein might be involved in transcriptional repression of methylated tumor suppressor genes.