Dataset Information

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements in radiation-related human papillary thyroid carcinoma after the Chernobyl accident.

ABSTRACT: Childhood radiation exposure has been associated with increased papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) risk. The role of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements in radiation-related PTC remains unclear, but STRN-ALK fusions have recently been detected in PTCs from radiation exposed persons after Chernobyl using targeted next-generation sequencing and RNA-seq. We investigated ALK and RET gene rearrangements as well as known driver point mutations in PTC tumours from 77 radiation-exposed patients (mean age at surgery 22.4 years) and PTC tumours from 19 non-exposed individuals after the Chernobyl accident. ALK rearrangements were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and confirmed with immunohistochemistry (IHC); point mutations in the BRAF and RAS genes were detected by DNA pyrosequencing. Among the 77 tumours from exposed persons, we identified 7 ALK rearrangements and none in the unexposed group. When combining ALK and RET rearrangements, we found 24 in the exposed (31.2%) compared to two (10.5%) in the unexposed group. Odds ratios increased significantly in a dose-dependent manner up to 6.2 (95%CI: 1.1, 34.7; p?=?0.039) at Iodine-131 thyroid doses >500 mGy. In total, 27 cases carried point mutations of BRAF or RAS genes, yet logistic regression analysis failed to identify significant dose association. To our knowledge we are the first to describe ALK rearrangements in post-Chernobyl PTC samples using routine methods such as FISH and IHC. Our findings further support the hypothesis that gene rearrangements, but not oncogenic driver mutations, are associated with ionising radiation-related tumour risk. IHC may represent an effective method for ALK-screening in PTCs with known radiation aetiology, which is of clinical value since oncogenic ALK activation might represent a valuable target for small molecule inhibitors.

SUBMITTER: Arndt A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6065115 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements in radiation-related human papillary thyroid carcinoma after the Chernobyl accident.

Arndt Annette A Steinestel Konrad K Rump Alexis A Sroya Manveer M Bogdanova Tetiana T Kovgan Leonila L Port Matthias M Abend Michael M Eder Stefan S

The journal of pathology. Clinical research 20180526 3

Childhood radiation exposure has been associated with increased papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) risk. The role of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements in radiation-related PTC remains unclear, but STRN-ALK fusions have recently been detected in PTCs from radiation exposed persons after Chernobyl using targeted next-generation sequencing and RNA-seq. We investigated ALK and RET gene rearrangements as well as known driver point mutations in PTC tumours from 77 radiation-exposed p ...[more]

PMID: 29633575

Similar Datasets

Project description:BACKGROUND:We previously noted that among atomic bomb survivors (ABS), the relative frequency of cases of adult papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) with chromosomal rearrangements (mainly RET/PTC) was significantly greater in those with relatively higher radiation exposure than those with lower radiation exposure. In contrast, the frequency of PTC cases with point mutations (mainly BRAF(V600E)) was significantly lower in patients with relatively higher radiation exposure than those with lower radiation exposure. We also found that among ABS, the frequency of PTC cases with no detectable gene alterations in RET, neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor 1 (NTRK1), BRAF, or RAS was significantly higher in patients with relatively higher radiation exposure than those with lower radiation exposure. However, in ABS with PTC, the relationship between the presence of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene fused with other gene partners and radiation exposure has received little study. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the relative frequency of rearranged ALK in ABS with PTC, and with no detectable gene alterations in RET, NTRK1, BRAF, or RAS, would be greater in those having relatively higher radiation exposures. METHODS:The 105 subjects in the study were drawn from the Life Span Study cohort of ABS of Hiroshima and Nagasaki who were diagnosed with PTC between 1956 and 1993. Seventy-nine were exposed (>0 mGy), and 26 were not exposed to A-bomb radiation. In the 25 ABS with PTC, and with no detectable gene alterations in RET, NTRK1, BRAF, or RAS, we examined archival, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded PTC specimens for rearrangement of ALK using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5' RACE). RESULTS:We found rearranged ALK in 10 of 19 radiation-exposed PTC cases, but none among 6 patients with PTC with no radiation exposure. In addition, solid/trabecular-like architecture in PTC was closely associated with ALK rearrangements, being observed in 6 of 10 PTC cases with ALK rearrangements versus 2 of 15 cases with no ALK rearrangements. The six radiation-exposed cases of PTC harboring both ALK rearrangements and solid/trabecular-like architecture were associated with higher radiation doses and younger ages at the time of the A-bombing and at diagnosis compared to the other 19 PTC with no detectable gene alterations. CONCLUSION:Our findings suggest that ALK rearrangements are involved in the development of radiation-induced adult-onset PTC.

Dataset Information

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements in radiation-related human papillary thyroid carcinoma after the Chernobyl accident.

Publications

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements in radiation-related human papillary thyroid carcinoma after the Chernobyl accident.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets