RT-PCR suggests human skeletal muscle origin of alveolar soft-part sarcoma.

In 1952, Christopherson et al. proposed that alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) was a distinct entity with unique clinical and pathological features. Since their report, its histogenesis has not been determined. In order to clarify the histogenesis of ASPS, a study using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction using cDNAs from MyoD1 and myogenin, and the actin filament from human-skeletal-muscle-related mRNAs has been performed in 5 cases of ASPS. The expression of MyoD1 and myogenin was determined in 5 and 2 cases of the 5 cases, respectively. Moreover, expression of the many mRNAs from the actin filament of skeletal muscle was also found in ASPS. According to these findings, it is now postulated that ASPS is of skeletal muscle origin. Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel