ABSTRACT
Objective To detect the mutation frequency of EML4-ALK fusion gene in lung cancer patients, and to inves-tigate the distribution of mutation character for EML4-ALK fusion gene in Ⅰ stage lung cancer patients and clinical features as well as provide a reference for the individual treatment of lung cancer .Methods 256 fresh tumor tissue specimens of lung cancer patients were screened from the specimen bank of our hospital and all the patients had accepted the surgical treatment from February 2013 to December 2014.Total RNA was extracted and then be transcribed into cDNA, the amplification-refrac-tory mutation system(ARMS) was used to detect mutation of EML4-ALK fusion gene.The results according to the positive con-trol, negative control and RNA quality control for EML4-ALK fusion type were analyzed.Results During the 256 patients ofⅠ stage lung cancer, there were 17 patients(6.64%) had mutations in EML4-ALK fusion gene.In lung adenocarcinoma mu-tation rate(16/207, 7.73%) was higher than that of lung squamous cell mutation rate(1/39, 2.56%), lung adeno-squamous mutation rate(0/4, 0) and large cell carcinoma(0/5, 0) of the mutation rate;young lung cancer patients( <63 years) of the mutation rate(14/139, 10.07%) was significantly higher than the high age of lung cancer patients(≥63 years old) mutation rate(3/117, 2.56%), P =0.009.EML4-ALK fusion with tumor invasion and visceral pleura group incidence (9/80, 11. 25%) was significantly higher than that of non-invasive and visceral pleura group incidence rate(8/176, 4.55%), P =0.045.Conclusion The occurence of EML4-ALK fusion correlates with patients’ age as well as whether visceral pleura is in-vaded, type 1 EML4-ALK fusion was detected more in phase I lung cancer patients.
ABSTRACT
Mesp family proteins comprise two members named mesodermal posterior 1 (Mesp1) and mesodermal posterior 2 (Mesp2). Both Mesp1 and Mesp2 are transcription factors and they share an almost identical basic helix-loop-helix motif. They have been shown to play critical regulating roles in mammalian heart and somite development. Mesp1 sits in the core of the complicated regulatory network for generation of cardiovascular progenitors while Mesp2 is central for somitogenesis. Here we summarize the similarities and differences in their molecular functions during mammalian early mesodermal development and discuss possible future research directions for further study of the functions of Mesp1 and Mesp2. A comprehensive knowledge of molecular functions of Mesp family proteins will eventually help us better understand mammalian heart development and somitogenesis as well as improve the production of specific cell types from pluripotent stem cells for future regenerative therapies.