High expression of the immature laminin receptor protein correlates with mutated IGVH status and predicts a favorable prognosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

The immature laminin receptor (iLR) is a tumor-associated antigen. We analyzed the expression of iLR on malignant B cells of 134 unselected patient samples with CLL and hypothesized that iLR expression would have prognostic significance due to a differential expression pattern. High ILR expression (cut-off value 30%) was correlated with mutated IGVH status (p<0.

A link between the expression of the stem cell marker HMGA2, grading, and the fusion CRTC1-MAML2 in mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

Recently, the concept of cancer stem cells and their expression of embryonic stem cell markers has gained considerable experimental support. In this study, we examined the expression of one such marker, the high-mobility group AT-hook 2 gene (HMGA2) mRNA, in 53 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MEC) and four normal parotid tissues using quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qPCR). MECs are often characterized by the fusion gene CRTC1-MAML2, the detection of which is an important tool for the diagnosis and prognosis of MEC.

Humoral immune responses against the immature laminin receptor protein show prognostic significance in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by a highly variable clinical course. The role of an autologous tumor-specific immune control contributing to the variable length of survival in CLL is poorly understood. We investigated whether humoral immunity specific for the CLL-associated Ag oncofetal Ag/immature laminin receptor (OFA/iLR) has a prognostic value in CLL.

A new type of MAML2 fusion in mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

The present study reports for the first time a CRTC3-MAML2 fusion gene in a mucoepidermoid carcinoma, as determined by RT-PCR and sequencing. We screened a total of 67 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded mucoepidermoid carcinomas for the presence of chimeric genes. In one of these samples, a CRTC3-MAML2 fusion gene was detected.

Expression of the c-kit receptor characterizes a subset of neuroblastomas with favorable prognosis.

Expression of the c-kit proto-oncogene product in neuroblastomas has been reported, but its clinical relevance is unclear. We determined the expression of c-kit by immunohistochemistry in a series of 155 neuroblastomas with long-term follow-up. The specificity of the reaction was verified by Western blot analysis and quantitative RT-PCR, and exon 11 of the kit gene was screened for mutations by PCR and capillary electrophoresis.

Overexpression of a novel lysyl oxidase-like gene in human head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.

Background: To compare the mRNA expression profile of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells and normal epithelial cells.

Materials And Methods: Differential display was used to trace genes showing differential expression in HNSCC cells. Rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) was carried out to identify 5'upstream sequences followed by Northern hybridisation for verification of the differential mRNA expression.

Expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase in human B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) induces somatic hypermutation (SHM), class switch recombination (CSR), and immunoglobulin gene conversion in B-lymphocytes. Here we report for the first time the expression of AID in healthy human B-lymphocytes and in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHL). AID mRNA expression in humans is restricted to the CD19(+)CD38(+)IgD(-) germinal center cells, namely the CD19(+)CD38(+)CD44(-) centroblasts.