Barbara-Magdalena Etzel1, Melanie Gerth1, Yuan Chen1, Elisa Wünsche1, Tina Facklam1, James F Beck2, Orlando Guntinas-Lichius3, Iver Petersen4. 1. Institute of Pathology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany. 2. Children's Clinic, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany. 3. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany. 4. Institute of Pathology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany. Electronic address: Iver.Petersen@med.uni-jena.de.
Abstract
AIMS: Survival and proliferation of Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells, the malignant cells of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL), are dependent on constitutive activation of nuclear factor kB (NF-κB). A20, encoded by TNF alpha-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3), one of the inhibitors of NF-kB, was found to be inactivated by deletions and/or point mutations in CHL. METHODS: TNFAIP3 mutations were examined in 37 patients with CHL by using PCR and direct sequencing. In addition, protein expression of A20 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status of HL samples was determined by EBV EBER chromogenic in situ hybridization (ISH). RESULTS: We identified 8 mutation positive cases in a collective of 37 investigated cases (22%). Mutations were most frequent in the nodular sclerosis subtype. Our results revealed the tendency that cases harboring A20 mutations were negative for A20 staining. None of A20 mutation-positive CHL cases showed EBV infection. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms the involvement of the TNFAIP3 tumor suppressor gene in CHL. A20 may represent a suppressor of human lymphoma and provide a critical molecular link between chronic inflammation and cancer. None of A20 mutation-positive CHL cases showed EBV infection. This fact suggests complementing functions of TNFAIP3 inactivation and EBV infection in CHL pathogenesis and may represent an interesting point of further investigations.
AIMS: Survival and proliferation of Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells, the malignant cells of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL), are dependent on constitutive activation of nuclear factor kB (NF-κB). A20, encoded by TNF alpha-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3), one of the inhibitors of NF-kB, was found to be inactivated by deletions and/or point mutations in CHL. METHODS:TNFAIP3 mutations were examined in 37 patients with CHL by using PCR and direct sequencing. In addition, protein expression of A20 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status of HL samples was determined by EBV EBER chromogenic in situ hybridization (ISH). RESULTS: We identified 8 mutation positive cases in a collective of 37 investigated cases (22%). Mutations were most frequent in the nodular sclerosis subtype. Our results revealed the tendency that cases harboring A20 mutations were negative for A20 staining. None of A20 mutation-positive CHL cases showed EBV infection. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms the involvement of the TNFAIP3tumor suppressor gene in CHL. A20 may represent a suppressor of humanlymphoma and provide a critical molecular link between chronic inflammation and cancer. None of A20 mutation-positive CHL cases showed EBV infection. This fact suggests complementing functions of TNFAIP3 inactivation and EBV infection in CHL pathogenesis and may represent an interesting point of further investigations.