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Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) is a recently discovered human virus closely related to African green monkey lymphotropic polyomavirus. MCV DNA is integrated in 80% of Merkel cell carcinomas (MCC), a neuroendocrine skin cancer linked to lymphoid malignancies such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). To assess MCV infection and its association with human diseases, we developed a monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes endogenous and transfected MCV large T (LT) antigen. We show expression of MCV LT protein localized to nuclei of tumor cells from MCC having PCR quantified MCV genome at an average of 5.2 (range 0.8-14.3) T antigen DNA copies per cell. Expression of this putative viral oncoprotein in tumor cells provides the mechanistic underpinning supporting the notion that MCV causes a subset of MCC. In contrast, although 2.2% of 325 hematolymphoid malignancies surveyed also showed evidence for MCV infection by DNA PCR, none were positive at high viral copy numbers, and none of 173 lymphoid malignancies examined on tissue microarrays expressed MCV LT protein in tumor cells. As with some of the other human polyomaviruses, lymphocytes may serve as a tissue reservoir for MCV infection, but hematolymphoid malignancies associated with MCC are unlikely to be caused by MCV. ' 2009 UICC

This study establishes that missense, nonsense, frameshift, and splice site mutations of the SDHB gene are associated with about half of all malignancies originating from extraadrenal paragangliomas. The high frequency of SDHB germline mutations among patients with malignant disease, particularly when originating from an extraadrenal paraganglioma, may justify a high priority for SDHB germline mutation testing in these patients.

Human fibrinogen cDNA probes for the a-,

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a major regulator of inflammation and immunity. IL-1 induces T lymphocyte growth by acting as a second signal (together with antigen) in enhancing the production of interleukin-2 (IL-2). An IL-1-responsive element in the promoter region of the human IL-2 gene was similar to the binding site for the transcription factor AP-1. IL-1 enhanced expression of c-jun messenger RNA, whereas the antigenic signal enhanced messenger RNA expression of c-fos. Thus, the two components of the AP-1 factor are independently regulated and the AP-1 factor may serve as a nuclear mediator for the many actions of IL-1 on cells.

The chromatin structure of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene was probed by DNase I treatment of isolated nuclei. The 5' region of the IL-2 gene contains three regions of hypersensitivity to DNase I. When peripheral blood T cells or Jurkat T cells are stimulated with mitogens, IL-2 message is induced, and the promoter region of the IL-2 gene develops an additional hypersensitive site. This suggests that a DNA sequence close to the transcriptional start site is involved in the transduction of the extracellular signal. Such a conclusion is further supported by DNA transfection experiments. A short segment of DNA, which includes the region of induced hypersensitivity, confers inducibility on the linked chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene in transiently transfected Jurkat cells. In addition, cells of nonhematopoietic origins exhibit a strikingly different chromatin pattern of IL-2, suggesting a role during differentiation for some of the hypersensitive sites.Activation of T lymphocytes by mitogens or antigens leads to secretion of the growth factor interleukin-2 (IL-2) (14,27,30,32,34). This factor interacts with the IL-2 receptor on the surface of activated T cells, and such an interaction is required for progression of these cells through the cell cycle (3). T cells thus proliferate in part via an autocrine mechanism. Subsequent to the induction phase, IL-2 expression appears to be specifically down modulated (6). Consequently, the magnitude of the initial pulse of IL-2 synthesis determines to a large degree the magnitude of the proliferative stimulus. Several agents which interfere with IL-2 production, such as cyclosporin A (CsA) (7, 22) and glucocorticoids (12), have powerful immunosuppressive actions. These agents most likely prevent the expansion of clones of antigen-specific T lymphocytes. The effects of glucocorticoids are broad, whereas the dramatic immunosuppressive effects of CsA are based largely on the inhibition of IL-2 production and give some insight into the critical role of IL-2 regulation in governing the immune response.The IL-2 gene product has been purified (28, 32), both cDNA and genomic clones for IL-2 have been identified, and the complete structure of the gene is known (11,18,19,37 Normal peripheral blood T cells also require two signals for activation; namely, antigens (or mitogens) and macrophages (3,26,29,38). Macrophages probably exert their effect through the IL-1 factor (5, 29). The mitogen PHA is thought to substitute for the signal normally provided by antigen, and PMA is probably a substitute for IL-1 or macrophages or both.Despite such extensive knowledge about the structure and function of the IL-2 gene and the signals leading to its activation in both normal T cells as well as in model cell lines, very little is known about the intracellular events that result in transcriptional activation or the determinants for its tissue-specific expression. Therefore, we set out to study the regulation of the IL-2 gene at the DNA level. We approached this in two ways: first by probing the chr...

This report of the Whole Genome Analysis group of the Association for Molecular Pathology illuminates the opportunities and challenges associated with clinical diagnostic genome sequencing. With the reality of clinical application of next-generation sequencing, technical aspects of molecular testing can be accomplished at greater speed and with higher volume, while much information is obtained. Although this testing is a next logical step for molecular pathology laboratories, the potential impact on the diagnostic process and clinical correlations is extraordinary and clinical interpretation will be challenging. We review the rapidly evolving technologies; provide application examples; discuss aspects of clinical utility, ethics, and consent; and address the analytic, postanalytic, and professional implications.

Cutaneous marginal zone lymphomas (CMZL) were segregated in the WHO/EORTC consensus classification but grouped with other MALT lymphomas in the subsequent WHO classification. It has been suggested, however, that CMZL have distinctive features and might include 2 subsets. To address these issues, the clinicopathologic, phenotypic and, when possible, genotypic features of 29 CMZL with plasmacytic differentiation were assessed. The monotypic plasma cells had class-switched heavy chain expression in 22 cases, technically inadequate staining in 1 case (included with class-switched cases for analysis) and 6 were IgM. The class-switched cases had a predominance of T cells in 22 out of 23 cases with a CD4:CD8>1 in 15 out of 16 cases, usually showed nodules and scattered small B cells often with IgD apparently nonneoplastic follicles, lacked CXCR3 B-cell expression, never showed a totally diffuse growth pattern, often had prominent mast cells, and lacked known extracutaneous involvement. The IgM cases showed a predominance of B cells in 5 out of 6 (P=0.0003), a diffuse proliferation of CD20 B cells in all (P<0.0001), CXCR3+ B cells in 2 out of 5 (P<0.04), and extracutaneous disease in 3 out of 6 (P<0.008). CD21 usually disrupted follicular dendritic meshworks were seen in 9 out of 12 class-switched and 5 out of 5 IgM cases. CD123 plasmacytoid dendritic cells, PD1+ T follicular helper cells, CD25 or FOXP3+ regulatory T cells, and TIA1/granzyme B cytotoxic cells were never numerous. Only 1 out of 14 tested cases showed a low-level clonal/oligoclonal T cell receptor γ gene rearrangement. These findings support the presence of 2 types of cutaneous MALT lymphomas with the class-switched cases being the most distinctive but still sharing significant features with MALT lymphomas from other sites, specifically an extranodal extramedullary CD5-, CD10- indolent small B cell lymphoma with plasmacytic differentiation, frequent benign follicular structures, and not fulfilling the criteria for any other well-defined lymphoma.