Premium
Mutation of BAX occurs infrequently in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome‐related non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas
Author(s) -
Gaidano Gianluca,
Vivenza Daniela,
Forconi Francesco,
Capello Daniela,
Gloghini Annunziata,
Bhatia Kishor,
Gutierrez Marina,
Gallicchio Margherita,
Avanzi Gian Carlo,
Fassone Lucia,
Ariatti Cristiano,
Buonaiuto Daniela,
Cingolani Antonella,
Saglio Giuseppe,
Tirelli Umberto,
Larocca Luigi M.,
DallaFavera Riccardo,
Carbone Antonino
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
genes, chromosomes and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.754
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1098-2264
pISSN - 1045-2257
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2264(200002)27:2<177::aid-gcc9>3.0.co;2-o
Subject(s) - lymphoma , primary effusion lymphoma , biology , frameshift mutation , immunodeficiency , cancer research , mutation , non hodgkin's lymphoma , gene , immunology , virology , pathology , medicine , genetics , immune system
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)‐related non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas (AIDS‐NHLs) consistently derive from B cells, are histologically heterogeneous, and are associated with distinct molecular pathways depending upon histology. Recently, it has been proposed that inactivating mutations of the bax death agonist may contribute to the pathogenesis of human tumors. In particular, among B‐cell malignancies, BAX mutations have been detected at a certain frequency in Burkitt lymphomas. This study is aimed at defining the status of the BAX gene throughout the clinicopathologic spectrum of AIDS‐NHL (n = 54), including AIDS‐related Burkitt lymphoma (n = 14), AIDS‐related Burkitt‐like lymphoma (n = 8), AIDS‐related diffuse large cell lymphoma (n = 15), AIDS‐related primary central nervous system lymphoma (n = 6), and AIDS‐related primary effusion lymphoma (n = 11). All 6 BAX exons and flanking sequences were subjected to mutational analysis by polymerase chain reaction‐single strand conformation polymorphism followed by DNA direct sequencing of positive cases. Mutations of BAX among AIDS‐NHL were restricted to a cell line of AIDS‐related primary effusion lymphoma, which harbored a frameshift mutation causing the introduction of a proximal stop codon. All other AIDS‐NHL displayed wild‐type BAX alleles. In order to investigate whether BAX inactivation in AIDS‐NHL may occur through mechanisms other than gene mutation, bax protein expression was investigated by Western blot analysis or immunohistochemistry in selected cases. All AIDS‐NHL analyzed expressed normal bax proteins. Overall, this study indicates that deregulation of apoptotic control in AIDS‐NHL is not caused by BAX alterations. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 27:177–182, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.