YWHAE

Gene Summary

Gene:YWHAE; tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein epsilon
Aliases: MDS, HEL2, MDCR, KCIP-1, 14-3-3E
Location:17p13.3
Summary:This gene product belongs to the 14-3-3 family of proteins which mediate signal transduction by binding to phosphoserine-containing proteins. This highly conserved protein family is found in both plants and mammals, and this protein is 100% identical to the mouse ortholog. It interacts with CDC25 phosphatases, RAF1 and IRS1 proteins, suggesting its role in diverse biochemical activities related to signal transduction, such as cell division and regulation of insulin sensitivity. It has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of small cell lung cancer. Two transcript variants, one protein-coding and the other non-protein-coding, have been found for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2008]
Databases:OMIM, HGNC, Ensembl, GeneCard, Gene
Protein:14-3-3 protein epsilon
Source:NCBIAccessed: 30 August, 2019

Ontology:

What does this gene/protein do?
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Pathways:What pathways are this gene/protein implicaed in?
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Cancer Overview

Research Indicators

Publications Per Year (1994-2019)
Graph generated 30 August 2019 using data from PubMed using criteria.

Literature Analysis

Mouse over the terms for more detail; many indicate links which you can click for dedicated pages about the topic.

  • Gene Rearrangement
  • Endometrial Stromal Tumors
  • Differential Diagnosis
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Adolescents
  • Staging
  • Gene Fusion
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 2
  • Oncogene Fusion
  • Cell Movement
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • Uterine Cancer
  • Phenotype
  • FISH
  • Transcription
  • Genetic Predisposition
  • 14-3-3 Proteins
  • World Health Organization
  • Clear Cell Sarcoma
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Oncogene Fusion Proteins
  • Sequence Analysis, RNA
  • Mutation
  • Vimentin
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Infant
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Stomach Cancer
  • Liver Cancer
  • Chromosome 17
  • Transcription Factors
  • Cancer Gene Expression Regulation
  • Kidney Cancer
  • Leiomyosarcoma
  • Childhood Cancer
  • Endometrial Cancer
  • Young Adult
  • Transcriptome
Tag cloud generated 30 August, 2019 using data from PubMed, MeSH and CancerIndex

Specific Cancers (6)

Data table showing topics related to specific cancers and associated disorders. Scope includes mutations and abnormal protein expression.

Note: list is not exhaustive. Number of papers are based on searches of PubMed (click on topic title for arbitrary criteria used).

Latest Publications: YWHAE (cancer-related)

Lax SF
[Mesenchymal and mixed uterine tumors : Current overview and practical aspects].
Pathologe. 2019; 40(1):36-45 [PubMed] Related Publications
Benign leiomyomas are the most frequent mesenchymal tumors of the uterus. In contrast, uterine sarcomas are very rare. Leiomyosarcomas are the most frequent sarcomas followed by endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS). Leiomyosarcomas are characterized by marked nuclear atypia and high mitotic count and may also show tumor cell necrosis and myometrial and vascular invasion. For cases of diagnostic uncertainty, the category of smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP) may be considered but should be rarely used. Besides low-grade ESS and stromal nodules, a category of high-grade ESS was reconsidered by the WHO in 2014. High-grade ESS are characterized by fibromyxoid and round cell histology, myoinvasive growth, and immunoreactivity for cyclin D1 and BCOR and distinct gene fusions involving YWHAE and BCOR, respectively. The very rare undifferentiated uterine sarcomas need to be redefined due to overlap with high-grade ESS. Uterine tumors resembling ovarian sex cord tumors (UTROSCT) rarely behave malignant, but need to be distinguished from endometrial carcinomas. Mixed epithelial and mesenchymal tumors of the uterus are rare with carcinosarcomas occurring more frequently than adenosarcomas. For prognosis of adenosarcomas the recognition of sarcomatous overgrowth is crucial. Carcinosarcomas are histologically heterogeneous although genetically clonal; biologically they are considered as undifferentiated carcinomas. There will be an increasing importance of molecular pathology for the classification of rare and unusual mesenchymal uterine tumors.

Sun Y, Xiaoyan H, Yun L, et al.
Identification of Key Candidate Genes and Pathways for Relationship between Ovarian Cancer and Diabetes Mellitus Using Bioinformatical Analysis
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2019; 20(1):145-155 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Ovarian cancer is one of the three major gynecologic cancers in the world. The aim of this study is to find the relationship between ovarian cancer and diabetes mellitus by using the genetic screening technique. By GEO database query and related online tools of analysis, we analyzed 185 cases of ovarian cancer and 10 control samples from GSE26712, and a total of 379 different genes were identified, including 104 up-regulated genes and 275 down-regulated genes. The up-regulated genes were mainly enriched in biological processes, including cell adhesion, transcription of nucleic acid and biosynthesis, and negative regulation of cell metabolism. The down-regulated genes were enriched in cell proliferation, migration, angiogenesis and macromolecular metabolism. Protein-protein interaction was analyzed by network diagram and module synthesis analysis. The top ten hub genes (CDC20, H2AFX, ENO1, ACTB, ISG15, KAT2B, HNRNPD, YWHAE, GJA1 and CAV1) were identified, which play important roles in critical signaling pathways that regulate the process of oxidation-reduction reaction and carboxylic acid metabolism. CTD analysis showed that the hub genes were involved in 1,128 distinct diseases (bonferroni-corrected P<0.05). Further analysis by drawing the Kaplan-Meier survival curve indicated that CDC20 and ISG15 were statistically significant (P<0.05). In conclusion, glycometabolism was related to ovarian cancer and genes and proteins in glycometabolism could serve as potential targets in ovarian cancer treatment.

Kim S
Hericium erinaceus isolectins recognize mucin-type O-glycans as tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens on the surface of K562 human leukemia cells.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2018; 120(Pt A):1093-1102 [PubMed] Related Publications
In Hericium erinaceus mushroom fruiting body, two different lectin groups, HEL1 and HEL2, were identified by using peptide mass fingerprinting based on customized protein sequence databases derived from RNA-Seq data. The HEL2 group included four isoforms designated HEL2a-d. Codon-optimized genes encoding HEL1, HEL2a, and HEL2b were expressed in Escherichia coli to produce fully active soluble proteins designated rHEL1, rHEL2a, and rHEL2b. Interestingly, these lectins showed different molecular weights: approximately 15 kDa for rHEL1 and approximately 120 kDa for rHEL2a and rHEL2b under non-denaturing conditions. rHEL2a and rHEL2b exhibited agglutination activities, but rHEL1 did not show any agglutination activity toward animal erythrocytes. The hemagglutination activity of rHEL2 lectins was strongly inhibited by glycoproteins containing mucin-type O-glycans. Glycan array analysis and isothermal titration calorimetry revealed that rHEL2 isolectins interacted strongly with O-glycans harboring the core 1 O-glycan motif, Galβ(1,3)GalNAc. Moreover, the glycan binding specificities of rHEL2 isolectins were comparable to that of peanut agglutinin in their ability to recognize O-glycans attached to leukosialin as tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens on the surface of K562 human leukemia cells. These results indicate that rHEL2 isolectins could be used as a powerful tool for analyzing mucin-type O-glycans expressed on the surface of cancer cells.

Dickson BC, Lum A, Swanson D, et al.
Novel EPC1 gene fusions in endometrial stromal sarcoma.
Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2018; 57(11):598-603 [PubMed] Related Publications
Endometrial stromal sarcoma encompasses a heterogeneous group of uterine mesenchymal neoplasms, which are currently divided into low-grade and high-grade subtypes. Low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma is morphologically bland; molecularly, these tumors frequently contain JAZF1-SUZ12, JAZF1-PHF1, and EPC1-PHF1 fusions. In contrast, high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma is characterized by morphologically undifferentiated neoplasms with high-grade nuclear features; these tumors likewise appear to be genetically diverse with YWHAE-NUTM2 and ZC3H7B-BCOR representing the most frequent gene fusions. Herein, we describe two novel EPC1 fusion genes in endometrial stromal sarcoma: EPC1-SUZ12 and EPC1-BCOR. Both tumors were characterized be an aggressive clinical course.

Tsuyoshi H, Yoshida Y
Molecular biomarkers for uterine leiomyosarcoma and endometrial stromal sarcoma.
Cancer Sci. 2018; 109(6):1743-1752 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Uterine leiomyosarcoma (u-LMS) and endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) are among the most frequent soft tissue sarcomas, which, in adults, lead to fatal lung metastases and patients have an extremely poor prognosis. Due to their rarity and heterogeneity, there are no suitable biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis, although some biomarker candidates have appeared. In 2017, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network's work on u-LMS has confirmed mutations and deletions in RB1, TP53 and PTEN. In addition, whole-exome sequencing of u-LMS has confirmed and demonstrated frequent alterations in TP53, RB1, α-thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked (ATRX) and mediator complex subunit 12 (MED12). MED12 is a useful biomarker to diagnose uterine-derived LMS and tumors arising from (LM) with a relatively favorable prognosis. TP53 and ATRX mutations can be important mechanisms in the pathogenesis of u-LMS and are correlated with a poor prognosis. In an update based on the 2014 WHO classification, low-grade ESS is often associated with gene rearrangement bringing about the JAZF 1-SUZ12 (formerly JAZF1-JJAZ1) fusion gene, whereas high-grade ESS is associated with the YWHAE-NUTM fusion gene. Low-grade ESS with JAZF1 rearrangement may correlate with metastasis. However, high-grade ESS with metastasis with YWHAE rearrangement shows a relatively favorable prognosis. The genetic/molecular genetic aberrations in u-LMS and ESS are reviewed, focusing on molecular biomarkers for these primary and metastatic tumors.

Hoang L, Chiang S, Lee CH
Endometrial stromal sarcomas and related neoplasms: new developments and diagnostic considerations.
Pathology. 2018; 50(2):162-177 [PubMed] Related Publications
Our understanding of endometrial stromal sarcomas has evolved dramatically since their earliest descriptions from over a century ago. Initial studies focused on establishing the relationship between histological appearances of endometrial stromal sarcomas and their clinical outcomes. Studies performed in the last decade have uncovered several recurrent cytogenetic aberrations occurring in low- and high-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas. Low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas bear close histopathological resemblance to proliferative-type endometrial stroma, and approximately half harbour t(7;17)(p15;q21) resulting in JAZF1-SUZ12 gene fusion. Less common JAZF1-PHF1, EPC1-PHF1, MEAF6-PHF1, and MBTD1-CXorf67 fusions have also been reported. The term 'high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma' was recently re-introduced in the classification of endometrial stromal tumours after the discovery of t(10;17)(q22;p13) resulting in YWHAE-NUTM2A/B fusion and is associated with distinct morphological characteristics. This review highlights the evolution of endometrial stromal sarcoma classification schemes over time and describes the salient clinicopathological and molecular features of endometrial stromal nodule, low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma, high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma, and undifferentiated uterine sarcoma. It also describes the recent characterisation of endometrial stromal sarcoma with t(X;22)(p11;q13) resulting in ZC3H7B-BCOR fusion, a noteworthy entity due to its close histological resemblance to myxoid leiomyosarcoma. We also provide insights into common challenging scenarios encountered when assessing endometrial stromal lesions in daily surgical pathology practice.

Kenny C, McDonagh N, Lazaro A, et al.
Dysregulated mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling as an oncogenic basis for clear cell sarcoma of the kidney.
J Pathol. 2018; 244(3):334-345 [PubMed] Related Publications
The oncogenic mechanisms and tumour biology underpinning clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK), the second commonest paediatric renal malignancy, are poorly understood and currently, therapy depends heavily on doxorubicin with cardiotoxic side-effects. Previously, we characterized the balanced t(10;17)(q22;p13) chromosomal translocation, identified at that time as the only recurrent genetic aberration in CCSK. This translocation results in an in-frame fusion of the genes YWHAE (encoding 14-3-3ϵ) and NUTM2, with a somatic incidence of 12%. Clinico-pathological features of that cohort suggested that this aberration might be associated with higher stage and grade disease. Since no primary CCSK cell line exists, we generated various stably transfected cell lines containing doxycycline-inducible HA-tagged YWHAE-NUTM2, in order to study the effect of expressing this transcript. 14-3-3ϵ-NUTM2-expressing cells exhibited significantly greater cell migration compared to isogenic controls. Gene and protein expression studies were indicative of dysregulated MAPK/PI3K-AKT signalling, and by blocking these pathways using neutralizing antibodies, the migratory advantage conferred by the transcript was abrogated. Importantly, CCSK tumour samples similarly show up-regulation/activation of these pathways. These results support the oncogenic role of 14-3-3ϵ-NUTM2 in CCSK and provide avenues for the exploration of novel therapeutic approaches. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mariño-Enriquez A, Lauria A, Przybyl J, et al.
BCOR Internal Tandem Duplication in High-grade Uterine Sarcomas.
Am J Surg Pathol. 2018; 42(3):335-341 [PubMed] Related Publications
Endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESSs) are mesenchymal uterine tumors characterized by recurrent genetic events, most commonly chromosomal rearrangements, that create oncogenic gene fusions. High-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas (HG-ESSs), as defined in the 2014 World Health Organization Classification, typically contain oncogenic YWHAE-NUTM2 fusions; however, although not well characterized, there are tumors morphologically overlapping with HG-ESS that do not contain the YWHAE-NUTM2 fusions. These fusions are also found in certain pediatric primitive sarcomas, including clear cell sarcoma of the kidney and soft tissue undifferentiated round cell sarcoma of infancy. A subset of these same pediatric sarcomas lack YWHAE-NUTM2 fusions and instead have internal tandem duplications (ITDs) involving exon 15 of BCOR (BCOR ITD). We investigated the presence of BCOR ITD by targeted sequencing in a series of 31 uterine sarcomas, comprising 5 low-grade ESS, 13 uterine sarcomas diagnosed as HG-ESS, and 13 undifferentiated uterine sarcomas. BCOR ITD were present in 1 uterine sarcoma diagnosed as HG-ESS and 2 undifferentiated sarcomas with uniform nuclear features, all of which lacked any of the recurrent chromosome translocations known to occur in ESS. These 3 high-grade sarcomas with BCOR ITD affected young patients (average age, 24) and morphologically were composed of nonpleomorphic spindle cells admixed with epithelioid and round cell areas. Focal myxoid stroma was present in 2 cases. Mitotic activity was brisk, necrosis was present, and there was lymphovascular involvement in all cases. The 3 uterine sarcomas with BCOR ITD exhibited diffuse cyclin D1 immunohistochemical expression and there was diffuse BCOR expression in the 2 cases tested. Long-term follow-up in 2 patients revealed 1 to be tumor-free after 22 years and the other to die of disease after 8 years. In conclusion, BCOR ITD is an oncogenic alternative to YWHAE-NUTM2 fusion in high-grade uterine sarcomas with uniform nuclear features. We propose that neoplasms with the morphology described and BCOR ITD be regarded as a unique subtype of high-grade uterine sarcoma, possibly within the family of endometrial stromal neoplasia.

Cuppens T, Moisse M, Depreeuw J, et al.
Integrated genome analysis of uterine leiomyosarcoma to identify novel driver genes and targetable pathways.
Int J Cancer. 2018; 142(6):1230-1243 [PubMed] Related Publications
Uterine leiomyosarcomas (uLMS) are rare, aggressive malignancies for which limited treatment options are available. To gain novel molecular insights into uLMS and identify potential novel therapeutic targets, we characterized 84 uLMS samples for genome-wide somatic copy number alterations, mutations, gene fusions and gene expression and performed a data integration analysis. We found that alterations affecting TP53, RB1, PTEN, MED12, YWHAE and VIPR2 were present in the majority of uLMS. Pathway analyses additionally revealed that the PI3K/AKT/mTOR, estrogen-mediated S-phase entry and DNA damage response signaling pathways, for which inhibitors have already been developed and approved, frequently harbored genetic changes. Furthermore, a significant proportion of uLMS was characterized by amplifications and overexpression of known oncogenes (CCNE1, TDO2), as well as deletions and reduced expression of tumor suppressor genes (PTEN, PRDM16). Overall, it emerged that the most frequently affected gene in our uLMS samples was VIPR2 (96%). Interestingly, VIPR2 deletion also correlated with unfavorable survival in uLMS patients (multivariate analysis; HR = 4.5, CI = 1.4-14.3, p = 1.2E-02), while VIPR2 protein expression was reduced in uLMS vs. normal myometrium. Moreover, stimulation of VIPR2 with its natural agonist VIP decreased SK-UT-1 uLMS cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. These data suggest that VIPR2, which is a negative regulator of smooth muscle cell proliferation, might be a novel tumor suppressor gene in uLMS. Our work further highlights the importance of integrative molecular analyses, through which we were able to uncover the genes and pathways most frequently affected by somatic alterations in uLMS.

Aisagbonhi O, Harrison B, Zhao L, et al.
YWHAE Rearrangement in a Purely Conventional Low-grade Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma that Transformed Over Time to High-grade Sarcoma: Importance of Molecular Testing.
Int J Gynecol Pathol. 2018; 37(5):441-447 [PubMed] Related Publications
Low and high-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS) can be distinguished on a morphologic basis. Low-grade ESS is composed of oval cells that resemble normal proliferative-phase endometrial stroma, while the well-known high-grade ESS is composed of round cells growing in nests separated by delicate sinusoidal vasculature. Recurrent JAZF1 rearrangements have been reported to be most frequent in low-grade stromal sarcomas (up to 60%), while YWHAE rearrangements are characteristic of high-grade ESS. Herein, we report a case of a 45-yr-old woman with stage IA typical low-grade ESS who developed multiple abdominopelvic recurrences and lung metastases 15 mo after her primary tumor was resected. The unusual morphology (without high-grade areas) as well as the aggressive behavior of the tumor prompted molecular testing which showed YWHAE rearrangement in her abdominopelvic recurrence and her primary tumor. Five years after her primary tumor was resected, she developed scalp metastases with a typical morphology of a high-grade ESS associated with t(10;17) and died of her disease. Our case highlights the potential value of molecular testing in all low-grade ESS at time of initial diagnosis to stratify patients at higher risk for developing high-grade ESS with the goal of offering closer follow-up for early detection and treatment if transformation occurs.

Wong MK, Ng CCY, Kuick CH, et al.
Clear cell sarcomas of the kidney are characterised by BCOR gene abnormalities, including exon 15 internal tandem duplications and BCOR-CCNB3 gene fusion.
Histopathology. 2018; 72(2):320-329 [PubMed] Related Publications
AIMS: Clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK) is a rare paediatric renal malignant tumour. The majority of CCSKs have internal tandem duplications (ITDs) of the BCOR gene, whereas a minority have the YWHAE-NUTM2 gene fusion. A third 'double-negative' (DN) category comprises CCSKs with neither BCOR ITDs nor YWHAE-NUTM2 fusion. The aim of this study was to characterise 11 histologically diagnosed CCSKs immunohistochemically (with CCND1, BCOR and CCNB3 stains) and genetically.
METHODS AND RESULTS: By next-generation sequencing, 10 cases (90.9%) had BCOR exon 15 ITDs, with positive BCOR immunoreactivity being found in four (36%) or eight (72%) cases, depending on the antibody clone. By reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, none had the YWHAE-NUTM2 fusion. The DN case had a BCOR-CCNB3 fusion and strong nuclear CCNB3 and BCOR immunoreactivity. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed markedly elevated BCOR expression in this case, whereas BCOR ITD cases had lower levels of elevated BCOR expression.
CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the CCSKs in our cohort had BCOR ITDs, and none had the YWHAE-NUTM2 fusion. We verified the strong, diffuse cyclin D1 (CCND1) immunoreactivity in CCSKs described in recent reports. BCOR immunoreactivity was not consistently positive in all CCSKs with BCOR ITDs, and therefore cannot be used as a diagnostic immunohistochemical stain to identify BCOR ITD cases. The DN case was a BCOR-CCNB3 fusion sarcoma. BCOR-CCNB3 sarcoma is typically a primary bone sarcoma affecting male adolescents, and this is the first report of it presenting in a kidney of a young child as a CCSK. The full spectrum of DN CCSKs awaits more comprehensive characterisation.

Chiang S, Lee CH, Stewart CJR, et al.
BCOR is a robust diagnostic immunohistochemical marker of genetically diverse high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma, including tumors exhibiting variant morphology.
Mod Pathol. 2017; 30(9):1251-1261 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Recognition of high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma is important because of its aggressive clinical behavior. Morphologic features of YWHAE-NUTM2 high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma may overlap with other uterine sarcoma types. BCOR immunoexpression was studied in these tumors and their morphologic mimics to assess its diagnostic utility. BCOR immunohistochemical staining was performed on archival tissue from 28 high-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas with classic morphology (20 YWHAE-NUTM2, 5 ZC3H7B-BCOR, 3 BCOR-ZC3H7B), 3 high-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas with unusual morphology and unknown gene rearrangement status, 66 low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas, 21 endometrial stromal nodules, 38 uterine leiomyosarcomas, and 19 uterine leiomyomas. Intensity of nuclear staining and percentage of positive tumor cells were recorded. Strong diffuse nuclear BCOR staining (defined as >95% of tumor cells) was seen in the round cell component of all 20 (100%) classic YWHAE-NUTM2 high-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas and the 3 unusual high-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas which prompted FISH studies confirming YWHAE rearrangement in 2 tumors. Genomic PCR confirmed the presence of BCOR exon 16 internal tandem duplication in the third case. Diffuse BCOR staining was strong in three and weak in one BCOR-rearranged high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma while absent in the remaining four BCOR-rearranged tumors. BCOR staining was weakly positive in <5% of tumor cells in 4 of 66 (6%) low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas and 1 of 18 (6%) endometrial stromal nodules and weakly to moderately positive in <5-40% of tumor cells in 6 of 31 (19%) leiomyosarcomas. No BCOR staining was seen in the remaining low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas, endometrial stromal nodules, leiomyosarcomas, or any of the leiomyomas. BCOR immunohistochemical staining is a highly sensitive marker for YWHAE-NUTM2 high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma with both classic and unusual morphology and identifies a subset of high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma with BCOR alterations, including BCOR rearrangement and internal tandem duplication.

Kikuchi N, Sugita S, Nakanishi K, et al.
Ovarian high-grade endometrioid stromal sarcoma with YWHAE and NUTM2B rearrangements.
Pathol Int. 2017; 67(6):327-329 [PubMed] Related Publications

Santiago T, Clay MR, Azzato E, et al.
Clear cell sarcoma of kidney involving a horseshoe kidney and harboring EGFR internal tandem duplication.
Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2017; 64(11) [PubMed] Related Publications
Clear cell sarcoma of kidney (CCSK) is a rare renal malignancy, previously unreported in horseshoe kidney (HSK). B-cell lymphoma 6 corepressor (BCOR) gene internal tandem duplication (ITD) was identified as a recurrent somatic alteration in approximately 85% of CCSKs. This and the YWHAE-NUTM2B/E fusion, the second most common recurrent molecular alteration in CCSK (10%), are considered to be mutually exclusive. However, there is a subset of CCSKs that do not harbor either the BCOR-ITD or YWHAE-NUTM2 translocation and lack known molecular alterations. Herein, we report the first case of CCSK arising in HSK and harboring epidermal growth factor receptor ITD.

Hemming ML, Wagner AJ, Nucci MR, et al.
YWHAE-rearranged high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma: Two-center case series and response to chemotherapy.
Gynecol Oncol. 2017; 145(3):531-535 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
OBJECTIVES: YWHAE-rearranged high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (HG-ESS) is a rare, recently defined uterine sarcoma harboring t(10;17)(q22;p13) resulting in YWHAE-NUTM2A/B fusion. Chemotherapy sensitivity of metastatic YWHAE-rearranged HG-ESS is unknown. We reviewed the response to chemotherapy in women with YWHAE-rearranged HG-ESS to provide guidance for clinical management.
METHODS: We retrospectively identified patients diagnosed with YWHAE-rearranged HG-ESS who received treatment for metastatic disease at our institutions. Cytogenetics or fluorescence in situ hybridization were performed in all cases to confirm rearrangement and, in conjunction with histopathology, a diagnosis of YWHAE-rearranged HG-ESS. Patient demographics, tumor histology, surgical procedures, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and treatment responses were collected.
RESULTS: Seven patients were identified with YWHAE-rearranged HG-ESS and met criteria for inclusion in this study. The median age at diagnosis was 45 (range 42-47). All patients had undergone hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. FIGO stage at diagnosis was IVB in four patients and a single patient each at stage IIIB, II or I. Median follow-up for the cohort was 27months (range 6-123). Six patients received anthracycline-based chemotherapy, with two of six achieving a complete radiologic response. One patient received gemcitabine and docetaxel, resulting in a partial response. For three patients who died from metastatic disease, survival from initial diagnosis was 33, 100 and 123months.
CONCLUSIONS: For metastatic YWHAE-rearranged HG-ESS, prolonged disease control following diagnosis was seen, with notable responses to anthracycline-based therapy. This emphasizes the need for appropriate molecular testing of uterine mesenchymal malignancies and suggests that chemotherapy is an effective treatment option for metastatic YWHAE-rearranged HG-ESS.

Kubo T, Sugita S, Wada R, et al.
Uterine epithelioid leiomyosarcoma with c-kit expression and YWHAE gene rearrangement: a case report of a diagnostic pitfall of uterine sarcoma.
Diagn Pathol. 2017; 12(1):26 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
BACKGROUND: Uterine sarcoma is a rare tumor that is often difficult to classify based on morphological and immunohistochemical analysis alone. Limited access to molecular biological analysis in routine practice would hinder making a definitive diagnosis.
CASE PRESENTATION: In this report, we describe a case of a mesenchymal tumor arising from the uterine cervix in a 52-year-old woman. From microscopic morphology of the resected specimen, epithelioid leiomyosarcoma, high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma, or uterine gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) were considered as differential diagnoses. The immunophenotype of the tumor featured smooth muscle differentiation and hormone receptor expression. The cell membrane and cytoplasm were positive for c-kit, although no mutation was found in the c-kit or PDGFRA gene. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis revealed a relatively low frequency of YWHAE rearrangement, whereas there were few NUTM2A and NUTM2B split signals.
CONCLUSIONS: In this case, the tumor was not typical of any three of the differential diagnoses mentioned above. However, insufficient frequency of YWHAE, NUTM2A, and NUTM2B gene rearrangement and absence of mutation in both the c-kit and PDGFRA genes suggested that this tumor should be categorized as epithelioid leiomyosarcoma. This is an instructive case showing a potential diagnostic pitfall of uterine sarcoma. Comprehensive approaches including molecular biological techniques are required for definitive diagnosis.

Castellano L, Dabrowska A, Pellegrino L, et al.
Sustained expression of miR-26a promotes chromosomal instability and tumorigenesis through regulation of CHFR.
Nucleic Acids Res. 2017; 45(8):4401-4412 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
MicroRNA 26a (miR-26a) reduces cell viability in several cancers, indicating that miR-26a could be used as a therapeutic option in patients. We demonstrate that miR-26a not only inhibits G1-S cell cycle transition and promotes apoptosis, as previously described, but also regulates multiple cell cycle checkpoints. We show that sustained miR-26a over-expression in both breast cancer (BC) cell lines and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) induces oversized cells containing either a single-large nucleus or two nuclei, indicating defects in mitosis and cytokinesis. Additionally, we demonstrate that miR-26a induces aneuploidy and centrosome defects and enhances tumorigenesis. Mechanistically, it acts by targeting G1-S transition genes as well as genes involved in mitosis and cytokinesis such as CHFR, LARP1 and YWHAE. Importantly, we show that only the re-expression of CHFR in miR-26a over-expressing cells partially rescues normal mitosis and impairs the tumorigenesis exerted by miR-26a, indicating that CHFR represents an important miR-26a target in the regulation of such phenotypes. We propose that miR-26a delivery might not be a viable therapeutic strategy due to the potential deleterious oncogenic activity of this miRNA.

Leal MF, Ribeiro HF, Rey JA, et al.
YWHAE silencing induces cell proliferation, invasion and migration through the up-regulation of CDC25B and MYC in gastric cancer cells: new insights about YWHAE role in the tumor development and metastasis process.
Oncotarget. 2016; 7(51):85393-85410 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
We previously observed reduced YWHAE (14-3-3ε) protein expression in a small set of gastric cancer samples. YWHAE may act as a negative regulator of the cyclin CDC25B, which is a transcriptional target of MYC oncogene. The understanding of YWHAE role and its targets is important for the better knowledge of gastric carcinogenesis. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the relationship among YWHAE, CDC25B, and MYC in vitro and in vivo. For this, we analyzed the YWHAE, CDC25B, and MYC expression in YWHA-silenced, CDC25B-silenced, and MYC-silenced gastric cancer cell lines, as well as in gastric cancer and non-neoplastic gastric samples. In gastric cancer cell lines, YWHAE was able to inhibit the cell proliferation, invasion and migration through the reduction of MYC and CDC25B expression. Conversely, MYC induced the cell proliferation, invasion and migration through the induction of CDC25B and the reduction of YWHAE. Most of the tumors presented reduced YWHAE and increased CDC25B expression, which seems to be important for tumor development. Increased MYC expression was a common finding in gastric cancer and has a role in poor prognosis. In the tumor initiation, the opposite role of YWHAE and CDC25B in gastric carcinogenesis seems to be independent of MYC expression. However, the inversely correlation between YWHAE and MYC expression seems to be important for gastric cancer cells invasion and migration. The interaction between YWHAE and MYC and the activation of the pathways related to this interaction play a role in the metastasis process.

Lax SF
[New features in the 2014 WHO classification of uterine neoplasms].
Pathologe. 2016; 37(6):500-511 [PubMed] Related Publications
The 2014 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of uterine tumors revealed simplification of the classification by fusion of several entities and the introduction of novel entities. Among the multitude of alterations, the following are named: a simplified classification for precursor lesions of endometrial carcinoma now distinguishes between hyperplasia without atypia and atypical hyperplasia, the latter also known as endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN). For endometrial carcinoma a differentiation is made between type 1 (endometrioid carcinoma with variants and mucinous carcinoma) and type 2 (serous and clear cell carcinoma). Besides a papillary architecture serous carcinomas may show solid and glandular features and TP53 immunohistochemistry with an "all or null pattern" assists in the diagnosis of serous carcinoma with ambiguous features. Neuroendocrine neoplasms are categorized in a similar way to the gastrointestinal tract into well differentiated neuroendocrine tumors and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (small cell and large cell types). Leiomyosarcomas of the uterus are typically high grade and characterized by marked nuclear atypia and lively mitotic activity. Low grade stromal neoplasms frequently show gene fusions, such as JAZF1/SUZ12. High grade endometrial stromal sarcoma is newly defined by cyclin D1 overexpression and the presence of the fusion gene YWHAE/FAM22 and must be distinguished from undifferentiated uterine sarcoma. Carcinosarcomas (malignant mixed Mullerian tumors MMMT) show biological and molecular similarities to high-grade carcinomas.

Hoang LN, Aneja A, Conlon N, et al.
Novel High-grade Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma: A Morphologic Mimicker of Myxoid Leiomyosarcoma.
Am J Surg Pathol. 2017; 41(1):12-24 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS) are often underpinned by recurrent chromosomal translocations resulting in the fusion of genes involved in epigenetic regulation. To date, only YWHAE-NUTM2 rearrangements are associated with distinctive high-grade morphology and aggressive clinical behavior. We identified 3 ESS morphologically mimicking myxoid leiomyosarcoma of the uterus and sought to describe their unique histopathologic features and identify genetic alterations using next-generation sequencing. All cases displayed predominantly spindled cells associated with abundant myxoid stroma and brisk mitotic activity. Tumors involved the endometrium and demonstrated tongue-like myometrial infiltration. All 3 were associated with an aggressive clinical course, including multisite bony metastases in 1 patient, progressive peritoneal disease after chemotherapy in another, and metastases to the lung and skin in the last patient. All 3 ESS were found to harbor ZC3H7B-BCOR gene fusions by targeted sequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization. On the basis of the review of these cases, we find that ESS with ZC3H7B-BCOR fusion constitutes a novel type of high-grade ESS and shares significant morphologic overlap with myxoid leiomyosarcoma.

Horng HC, Wen KC, Wang PH, et al.
Uterine sarcoma Part II-Uterine endometrial stromal sarcoma: The TAG systematic review.
Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol. 2016; 55(4):472-9 [PubMed] Related Publications
Endometrial stromal tumors are rare uterine tumors (<1%). Four main categories include endometrial stromal nodule, low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LG-ESS), high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (HG-ESS), and uterine undifferentiated sarcoma (UUS). This review is a series of articles discussing the uterine sarcomas. LG-ESS, a hormone-dependent tumor harboring chromosomal rearrangement, is an indolent tumor with a favorable prognosis, but characterized by late recurrences even in patients with Stage I disease, suggesting the requirement of a long-term follow-up. Patients with HG-ESS, based on the identification of YWHAE-NUTM2A/B (YWHAE-FAM22A/B) gene fusion, typically present with advanced stage diseases and frequently have recurrences, usually within a few years after initial surgery. UUS is, a high-grade sarcoma, extremely rare, lacking a specific line of differentiation, which is a diagnosis of exclusion (the wastebasket category, which fails to fulfill the morphological and immunohistochemical criteria of translocation-positive ESS). Surgery is the main strategy in the management of uterine sarcoma. Due to rarity, complex biological characteristics, and unknown etiology and risk factors of uterine sarcomas, the role of adjuvant therapy is not clear. Only LG-ESS might respond to progestins or aromatase inhibitors.

Kao YC, Sung YS, Zhang L, et al.
BCOR Overexpression Is a Highly Sensitive Marker in Round Cell Sarcomas With BCOR Genetic Abnormalities.
Am J Surg Pathol. 2016; 40(12):1670-1678 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
With the advent of next-generation sequencing, an increasing number of novel gene fusions and other abnormalities have emerged recently in the spectrum of EWSR1-negative small blue round cell tumors (SBRCTs). In this regard, a subset of SBRCTs harboring either BCOR gene fusions (BCOR-CCNB3, BCOR-MAML3), BCOR internal tandem duplications (ITD), or YWHAE-NUTM2B share a transcriptional signature including high BCOR mRNA expression, as well as similar histologic features. Furthermore, other tumors such as clear cell sarcoma of kidney (CCSK) and primitive myxoid mesenchymal tumor of infancy also demonstrate BCOR ITDs and high BCOR gene expression. The molecular diagnosis of these various BCOR genetic alterations requires an elaborate methodology including custom BAC fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probes and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays. As these tumors show high level of BCOR overexpression regardless of the genetic mechanism involved, either conventional gene fusion or ITD, we sought to investigate the performance of an anti-BCOR monoclonal antibody clone C-10 (sc-514576) as an immunohistochemical marker for sarcomas with BCOR gene abnormalities. Thus we assessed the BCOR expression in a pathologically and genetically well-characterized cohort of 25 SBRCTs, spanning various BCOR-related fusions and ITDs and YWHAE-NUTM2B fusion. In addition, we included related pathologic entities such as 8 CCSKs and other sarcomas with BCOR gene fusions. As a control group we included 20 SBRCTs with various (non-BCOR) genetic abnormalities, 10 fusion-negative SBRCTs, 74 synovial sarcomas, 29 rhabdomyosarcomas, and other sarcoma types. In addition, we evaluated the same study group for SATB2 immunoreactivity, as these tumors also showed SATB2 mRNA upregulation. All SBRCTs with BCOR-MAML3 and BCOR-CCNB3 fusions, as well as most with BCOR ITD (93%), and all CCSKs showed strong and diffuse nuclear BCOR immunoreactivity. Furthermore, all SBRCTs with YWHAE-NUTM2B also were positive. SATB2 stain was also positive in tumors with YWHAE-NUTM2B, BCOR-MAML3, BCOR ITD (75%), BCOR-CCNB3 (71%), and a subset of CCSKs (33%). In conclusion, BCOR immunohistochemical stain is a highly sensitive marker for SBRCTs and CCSKs with BCOR abnormalities and YWHAE-rearrangements and can be used as a useful diagnostic marker in these various molecular subsets. SATB2 immunoreactivity is also present in the majority of this group of tumors.

Micci F, Gorunova L, Agostini A, et al.
Cytogenetic and molecular profile of endometrial stromal sarcoma.
Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2016; 55(11):834-46 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Recent cytogenetic and molecular investigations have improved our understanding of endometrial stromal tumors, including sarcomas (ESS), and helped redefine their classification into more pathogenetically meaningful categories. Because much more can be gained through such studies, we add information on another 22 ESS examined by karyotyping, PCR analysis, expression array analysis, and transcriptome sequencing. In spite of the known preference for certain pathogenetic pathways, we found considerable genetic heterogeneity in high-grade (HG) as well as in low-grade (LG) ESS. Not all HG tumors showed a YWHAE-NUTM chimeric transcript and as many as six LGESS showed no hitherto known ESS-related fusions. Among the transcripts identified by transcriptome sequencing and verified by Sanger sequencing, new variants of ZC3H7-BCOR and its reciprocal BCOR-ZC3H7 were identified as was involvement of the CREBBP and MLLT4 genes (both well known leukemia-related genes) in two new fusions. FISH analysis identified a known EPC1-PHF1 fusion which led to the identification of a new variant at the molecular level. The fact that around 70 genes were found differentially expressed, by microarray analysis, when comparing LGESS showing ESS-related fusions with LGESS without such transcripts, underscores the biochemical importance of the observed genetic heterogeneity and hints that new subgroups/entities in LGESS still remain undiscovered. © 2016 The Authors. Genes, Chromosomes & Cancer Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hodge JC, Bedroske PP, Pearce KE, Sukov WR
Molecular Cytogenetic Analysis of JAZF1, PHF1, and YWHAE in Endometrial Stromal Tumors: Discovery of Genetic Complexity by Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization.
J Mol Diagn. 2016; 18(4):516-26 [PubMed] Related Publications
Diagnosis of endometrial stromal tumors (ESTs) can be challenging, particularly endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESSs) because of variable histologic appearance, long latency to recurrence, frequent metastases with unknown primary, and overlap with endometrial stromal nodules and undifferentiated uterine sarcomas. To enhance EST diagnosis, a break-apart strategy fluorescence in situ hybridization panel to detect JAZF1, PHF1, and YWHAE rearrangements was applied to a cohort of primary or metastatic endometrial stromal nodules, ESSs, or undifferentiated uterine sarcomas (36 cases for JAZF1, 24 of which were also assessed for PHF1 and YWHAE), 24 myometrium/endometrium controls, and 37 non-ESTs in the differential diagnosis. JAZF1 was the most frequently altered gene and occurred in all EST types, JAZF1 and/or PHF1 were mutually exclusive from YWHAE involvement, and uterine and extrauterine ESTs have a shared pathogenesis. We further defined frequency of these rearrangements and provided a resource demonstrating the signal complexity that can manifest when evaluating JAZF1. Rearrangement of JAZF1 occurred in 47% of ESTs, most (70%) of which had atypical patterns representing multiple structural alterations and/or more than one clone. YWHAE and PHF1 rearrangements each occurred in 8% of ESTs. An exceptional case was an ESS without JAZF1 or MEAF6 disruption that further disputes correlation of PHF1 involvement with the sex cord-like variant. These results expand our understanding of the genetic heterogeneity that defines ESTs.

Chang B, Lu LX, Tu XY, et al.
[Endometrial stromal sarcoma: morphologic features and detection of JAZF1-SUZ12 and YWHAE FAM22 fusion genes].
Zhonghua Bing Li Xue Za Zhi. 2016; 45(5):308-13 [PubMed] Related Publications
OBJECTIVE: To study the morphologic features, immunophenotype and significance of expression of JAZF1-SUZ12 and YWHAE-FAM22 fusion genes in endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS).
METHODS: Fifty-three cases of ESS were retrieved and the pathologic features were reviewed. Immunohistochemical study for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, CD10, cyclin D1, smooth muscle actin, desmin and H-caldesmon were carried out using tissue microarray technology. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was applied for detection of expression of JAZF1-SUZ12 and YWHAE-FAM22 fusion genes in 47 cases of ESS and 12 cases of other spindle cell neoplasia in uterus (including 2 cases of undifferentiated sarcoma, 3 cases of leiomyosarcoma, 3 cases of leiomyoma, 4 cases of adenosarcoma and 2 cases of uterine tumor resembling ovarian sex cord tumor).
RESULTS: The 53 cases of ESS studied included 43 cases of low-grade ESS and 10 cases of high-grade ESS. As for low-grade ESS, in addition to the classic morphologic features, smooth muscle differentiation was present in 7 cases (16.3%), sex cord-like differentiation in 2 cases (4.7%), rhabdoid differentiation in 1 case (2.3%), clear cell changes in 1 case (2.3%) and schwannoma-like palisading pattern in 1 case (2.3%). As for high-grade ESS, sex cord-like differentiation (1 case), mucinous microcystic changes (1 case) and focal clear cell changes (1 case) were also observed. The expression rate of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, CD10, cyclin D1, smooth muscle actin, desmin and H-caldesmon was 86.0%, 81.4%, 74.4%, 2.3%, 23.3%, 23.3% and 4.7% in low-grade ESS, respectively, and was 1/10, 6/10, 6/10, 7/10, 1/10, 1/10 and 0 in high-grade ESS, respectively. RNA extraction was successful in 47 cases of ESS, including 39 cases of low-grade ESS and 8 cases of high-grade ESS. The positive rate of JAZF1-SUZ12 fusion gene was 30.8% (12/39) in low-grade ESS. The positive rate of YWHAE-FAM22 fusion gene was 12.5% (1/8) in high-grade ESS. The 14 control cases were all negative for JAZF1-SUZ12 and YWHAE-FAM22 fusion genes.
CONCLUSIONS: As uncommon pathologic pattern may occur in both low-grade ESS and high-grade ESS, detection of JAZF1-SUZ1 and YWHAE-FAM22 fusion genes by RT-PCR would be helpful in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of ESS, especially for those tumors which lack typical morphologic features.

Kenny C, Bausenwein S, Lazaro A, et al.
Mutually exclusive BCOR internal tandem duplications and YWHAE-NUTM2 fusions in clear cell sarcoma of kidney: not the full story.
J Pathol. 2016; 238(5):617-20 [PubMed] Related Publications
Internal tandem duplication within the BCOR gene sequence that encodes the PUFD domain, important in the formation of the non-canonical or variant polycomb repressor complex 1 (v-PRC1), was very recently described in 100% of 20 clear cell sarcomas of kidney (CCSKs). None of those 20 cases bore the YWHAE-NUTM2 transcript, previously described by us in CCSK, and which constitutes the only other recurrent genetic aberration observed in CCSK, prompting consideration that these mutations might be mutually exclusive in CCSK. We analysed a cohort of 159 CCSKs and can now not only confirm that there is indeed mutual exclusivity of these BCOR and YWHAE mutations, but also show that a substantial proportion (in this series 11.8%) of CCSKs bear neither mutation when tested by these assays, raising the possibility of distinct aetiologies for subsets of CCSK. Clinical differences observed between the subsets support this notion. As CCSK may show poor chemo-responsiveness, and current treatment protocols mandate the use of doxorubicin with its associated side-effects, advances in understanding the disease biology with a view to more targeted and personalized treatment is a pressing need.

Li X, Anand M, Haimes JD, et al.
The application of next-generation sequencing-based molecular diagnostics in endometrial stromal sarcoma.
Histopathology. 2016; 69(4):551-9 [PubMed] Related Publications
AIMS: Endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESSs) are divided into low-grade and high-grade subtypes, with the latter showing more aggressive clinical behaviour. Although histology and immunophenotype can aid in the diagnosis of these tumours, genetic studies can provide additional diagnostic insights, as low-grade ESSs frequently harbour fusions involving JAZF1/SUZ12 and/or JAZF1/PHF1, whereas high-grade ESSs are defined by YWHAE-NUTM2A/B fusions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of a next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based assay in identifying ESS fusions in archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumour samples.
METHODS AND RESULTS: We applied an NGS-based fusion transcript detection assay (Archer FusionPlex Sarcoma Panel) that targets YWHAE and JAZF1 fusions in a series of low-grade ESSs (n = 11) and high-grade ESSs (n = 5) that were previously confirmed to harbour genetic rearrangements by fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) and/or reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses. The fusion assay identified junctional fusion transcript sequences that corresponded to the known FISH/RT-PCR results in all cases. Four low-grade ESSs harboured JAZF1-PHF1 fusions with different junctional sequences, and all were correctly identified because of the open-ended nature of the assay design, using anchored multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Seven non-ESS sarcomas were also included as negative controls, and no strong ESS fusion candidates were identified in these cases.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate good sensitivity and specificity of an NGS-based gene fusion assay in the detection of ESS fusion transcripts.

Kao YC, Sung YS, Zhang L, et al.
Recurrent BCOR Internal Tandem Duplication and YWHAE-NUTM2B Fusions in Soft Tissue Undifferentiated Round Cell Sarcoma of Infancy: Overlapping Genetic Features With Clear Cell Sarcoma of Kidney.
Am J Surg Pathol. 2016; 40(8):1009-20 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Soft tissue undifferentiated round cell sarcoma (URCS) occurring in infants is a heterogenous group of tumors, often lacking known genetic abnormalities. On the basis of a t(10;17;14) karyotype in a pelvic URCS of a 4-month-old boy showing similar breakpoints with clear cell sarcoma of kidney (CCSK), we have investigated the possibility of shared genetic abnormalities in CCSK and soft tissue URCS. Most CCSKs are characterized by BCOR exon 16 internal tandem duplications (ITDs), whereas a smaller subset shows YWHAE-NUTM2B/E fusions. Because of overlapping clinicopathologic features, we have also investigated these genetic alterations in the so-called primitive myxoid mesenchymal tumor of infancy (PMMTI). Among the 22 infantile URCSs and 7 PMMTIs selected, RNA sequencing was performed in 5 and 2 cases, with frozen tissue, respectively. The remaining cases with archival material were tested for YWHAE-NUTM2B/E by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and BCOR ITD by PCR. A control group of 4 CCSKs and 14 URCSs in older children or adults without known gene fusion and 20 other sarcomas with similar histomorphology or age at presentation were also tested. A YWHAE-NUTM2B fusion was confirmed in the index case by FISH and RT-PCR, whereas BCOR ITD was lacking. An identical YWHAE-NUTM2B fusion was found in another URCS case of a 5-month-old girl with a back lesion. The remaining cases and control group lacked YWHAE gene rearrangements; instead, consistent BCOR ITDs, similar to CCSK, were found in 15/29 (52%) infantile sarcoma cases (9/22 infantile URCS and 6/7 PMMTI). In the control cohort, BCOR ITD was found only in 3 CCSK cases but not in the other sarcomas. Histologically, URCS with both genotypes and PMMTI shared significant histologic overlap, with uniform small blue round cells with fine chromatin and indistinct nucleoli. A prominent capillary network similar to CCSK, rosette structures, and varying degree of myxoid change were occasionally seen. BCOR ITD-positive tumors occurred preferentially in the somatic soft tissue of the trunk, abdomen, and head and neck, sparing the extremities. RNAseq showed high BCOR mRNA levels in BCOR ITD-positive cases, compared with other URCSs. In summary, we report recurrent BCOR exon 16 ITD and YWHAE-NUTM2B fusions in half of infantile soft tissue URCS and most PMMTI cases, but not in other pediatric sarcomas. These findings suggest a significant overlap between infantile URCS and CCSK, such as age at presentation, histologic features, and genetic signature, thus raising the possibility of a soft tissue counterpart to CCSK.

Hrzenjak A
JAZF1/SUZ12 gene fusion in endometrial stromal sarcomas.
Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2016; 11:15 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESSs) belong to the rarest uterine malignancies (prevalence category <1-9/1,000,000). According to the new 2014 World Health Organisation (WHO) classification, they are separated into four categories; benign endometrial stromal nodules (ESNs), low grade endometrial stromal sarcomas (LG-ESSs), high-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas (HG-ESSs) and undifferentiated uterine sarcomas (UUSs). Due to heterogeneous histopathologic appearance these tumors still represent diagnostic challenge, even for experienced pathologists. ESSs are genetically very heterogeneous and several chromosomal translocations and gene fusions have so far been identified in these malignancies. To date the JAZF1/SUZ12 gene fusion is by far the most frequent and seems to be the cytogenetic hallmark of ESN and LG-ESS. Based on present literature data this gene fusion is present in approximately 75% of ESN, 50% of LG-ESS and 15% of HG-ESS cases. The frequency of JAZF1/SUZ12 appearance varies between classic ESS and different morphologic variants. This gene fusion is suggested to become a specific diagnostic tool, especially in difficult borderline cases. In combination with the recently described YWHAE/FAM22 gene fusion the JAZF1/SUZ12 fusion could be used to differentiate between LG-ESS and HG-ESS. The purpose of this review is to summarize literature data published in last two and a half decades about this gene fusion, as a contribution to our understanding of ESS genetics and pathogenesis.

Gooskens SL, Kenny C, Lazaro A, et al.
The clinical phenotype of YWHAE-NUTM2B/E positive pediatric clear cell sarcoma of the kidney.
Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2016; 55(2):143-7 [PubMed] Related Publications
Clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK) although uncommon, is the second most frequent renal malignancy of childhood. Until now, the sole recurrent genetic aberration identified in CCSKs is t(10;17)(q22;p13), which gives rise to a fusion transcript of YWHAE and NUTM2B/E. So far, the clinical relevance of this fusion transcript is unknown. The aim of this descriptive study was to determine the clinical phenotype of t(10;17)(q22;p13) positive CCSKs. Snap-frozen tissues, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues or RNA previously extracted from CCSK samples throughout European, North-American and Japanese study groups were screened by RT-PCR for the YWHAE-NUTM2B/E transcript. Clinical characteristics, tumor characteristics, and outcome of patients with and without the fusion transcript were studied. The cohort comprised 51 previously published cases to which were added 139 internationally collected CCSK samples. RNA from 57 of these additionally collected cases was of sufficient quality to be successfully screened for the YWHAE-NUTM2B/E transcript. In total, seven of the 108 cases harbored the fusion transcript. Patients with tumors containing the fusion transcript were relatively young (median age 10 months), had associated low median tumor volumes and stage I disease was not observed in these patients. Two of seven patients relapsed and one of seven patients died of disease. Ranges of values were not overtly different between patients with and without the fusion transcript; however, the number of fusion transcript positive cases turned out to be too small to permit reliable statistical analysis. The current study did not identify an explicit clinical phenotype of CCSK cases harboring the YWHAE-NUTM2B/E fusion transcript.

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