Mutations in codons 12 and 13 of the KRAS oncogene are relatively common in colorectal and lung adenocarcinomas. Recent data indicate that these mutations result in resistance to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor therapy. Therefore, we assessed Sanger sequencing, pyrosequencing, and melting curve analysis for the detection of KRAS codon 12/13 mutations in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples, including 58 primary and 42 metastatic colorectal adenocarcinomas, 63 primary and 17 metastatic lung adenocarcinomas, and 20 normal colon samples. Of 180 tumor samples, 62.2% were KRAS mutant positive, and 37.8% were negative. Melting curve analysis yielded no false positive or false negative results, but had 10% equivocal calls. Melting curve analysis also resulted in 4 cases with melting curves inconsistent with either wild-type or codon 12/13 mutations. These patterns were generated from samples with double mutants in codons 12/13 and with mutations outside of codons 12/13. Pyrosequencing yielded no false positive or false negative results as well. However, two samples from one patient yielded a pyrogram that was flagged as abnormal, but the mutation subtype could not be determined. Finally, using an electronic cutoff of 10%, Sanger sequencing showed 11.1% false positives and 6.1% false negatives. In our hands, the limit of detection for Sanger sequencing, pyrosequencing, and melting curve analysis was approximately 15 to 20%, 5%, and 10% mutant alleles, respectively.

Microsatellite instability (MSI) analysis of colorectal cancers is clinically useful to identify patients with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC)caused by germline mutations of mismatch repair genes. MSI status may also predict cancer response/ resistance to certain chemotherapies. We evaluated the MSI Analysis System (Promega Corp.; five mononucleotide and two pentanucleotide repeats) and compared the results to the Bethesda panel, which interrogates five microsatellite loci recommended by the 1997 National Cancer Institute-sponsored MSI workshop (three dinucleotide and two mononucleotide repeats). Thirty-four colorectal cancers were analyzed by both assays. The overall concordance between the two assays was 85% (29 of 34). There was complete concordance between the two assays for all of the MSI-high (11 of 11) and microsatellite stable (MSS; 18 of 18) cases. In the 11 MSI-high cases, all 5 of the mononucleotide loci in the MSI Analysis System demonstrated shifted alleles (100% sensitivity), and each shift resulted in products that were smaller in size than the germline alleles. All (5 of 5) of the cases interpreted as MSI-low by the Bethesda assay were interpreted as MSS by the MSI Analysis System. Our results suggest that the MSI Analysis System is generally superior and may help resolve cases of MSI-low into either MSI-high or MSS.

FLT3 is a receptor tyrosine kinase that is expressed on early hematopoietic progenitor cells and plays an important role in stem cell survival and differentiation. Two different types of functionally important FLT3 mutations have been identified. Internal tandem duplication mutations arise from duplications of the juxtamembrane portion of the gene and result in constitutive activation of the FLT3 protein. This alteration has been identified in ϳ20% to 30% of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia and appears to be associated with a worse prognosis. The second type of FLT3 mutation, missense mutations at aspartic acid residue 835, occurs in ϳ7.0% of acute myelogenous leukemia cases. These mutations also appear to be activating and to portend a worse prognosis. Identification of FLT3 mutations is important because it provides prognostic information and may play a pivotal role in determining appropriate treatment options. We have developed an assay to identify both internal tandem duplication and D835 FLT3 mutations in a single multiplex polymerase chain reaction. After amplification, the polymerase chain reaction products are analyzed by capillary electrophoresis for length mutations and resistance to EcoRV digestion. Here we describe the performance characteristics of the assay, FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3 also known as STK1 and flk2) is a member of the class III receptor tyrosine kinase family that also includes PDGF-R, KIT, and FMS. 1 The FLT3 protein is normally expressed on hematopoietic stem progenitor cells and appears to play an important role in stem cell survival, and the development of dendritic and natural killer cells. 2,3 FLT3 is overexpressed in most cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). 4,5 In addition, analysis of leukemic blasts from AML patients has identified two specific somatic mutations of the FLT3 gene. 6,7 Identification of these mutations in AML patients provides independent prognostic information that may also prove important for treatment optimization.The first and best-studied FLT3 mutation is an internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutation. ITD mutations typically result from the duplication and tandem insertion of a portion of the juxtamembrane (JM) region (exons 11 to 12) of the FLT3 wild-type gene. 6 The lengths of the duplicated segments have been reported to range in size from 6 to 180 bases and are always in frame. 8,9 ITD mutations result in the constitutive autophosphorylation of the FLT3 receptor and are thus gain-of-function mutations of the FLT3 proto-oncogene. 10 FLT3 ITD mutations have been reported to occur in 20 to 30% of patients with AML and have been associated with an increased relapse risk, decreased disease-free survival, decreased event-free survival, and decreased overall survival. 8,9,11 In a multivariate analysis of FLT3 ITD mutations, cytogenetic risk group, presentation white blood cell count, percentage BM blasts at diagnosis, age, gender, and FAB type in 854 AML patients, the presence of a FLT3 ITD mutation was the most significant factor adversely a...

Distinction of hydatidiform moles (HM) from nonmolar specimens and subclassification of HMs as complete hydatidiform mole (CHM), partial hydatidiform mole (PHM), or early CHM (eCHM) are important for clinical practice and investigational studies but diagnosis based solely on morphology suffers from poor interobserver reproducibility. Recent studies have demonstrated the use of p57 immunostaining and molecular genotyping for improving diagnosis of HMs. After performing a validation study of both techniques on 24 archival products of conception specimens (7 CHMs, 8 PHMs, 9 nonmolar), we prospectively analyzed 42 cases, largely obtained from a gynecologic pathology consultation practice, for which there was any consideration of a diagnosis of HM. After satisfactory experience with prospective cases, a modified approach was adopted, with p57 immunostaining used in conjunction with morphology to triage cases for molecular genotyping. Final diagnoses for the prospective cases based on combined morphology and ancillary testing were 24 CHMs (including 7 eCHMs), 7 PHMs, and 11 nonmolar specimens. P57 immunostaining, performed on all 66 cases, was negative in all CHMs, with the exception of 1 case of molecularly confirmed CHM with diffuse p57 expression, and positive in all PHMs and nonmolar specimens, with the exception of 3 cases of molecularly confirmed PHMs with an equivocal extent of p57 expression. Molecular genotyping of 51 cases (24 validation, 27 prospective) yielded data consistent with p57 results in the 47 cases with unequivocal p57 expression patterns and was used to establish the diagnoses for the 4 cases with aberrant or equivocal p57 results. All 17 genotyped CHMs demonstrated androgenetic diploidy, including the CHM with retained p57 expression; this case also demonstrated trisomy of chromosome 11 (retained maternal allele), accounting for the aberrant p57 expression. The remaining 14 CHMs were diagnosed by morphology and negative p57 results alone. All 15 PHMs demonstrated diandric triploidy. All genotyped nonmolar specimens demonstrated biparental diploidy. This study validates p57 immunostaining as a prospectively applicable triage assay for the diagnosis of CHMs based on morphology and a negative p57 result. Molecular genotyping is validated as a method to confirm a diagnosis of CHM by demonstrating androgenetic diploidy and to resolve p57-positive cases into diandric triploid PHMs, biparental diploid nonmolar specimens, and the rare CHM with aberrant p57 expression.