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MafB oncoprotein detected by immunohistochemistry as a highly sensitive and specific marker for the prognostic unfavorable t(14;20) (q32;q12) in multiple myeloma patients

Leukemia volume 23, pages 801–803 (2009)Cite this article

Chang et al.1 reported the frequent expression of C-Maf nuclear oncoprotein in multiple myeloma (MM), not only in patients positive for the t(14;16) (q32;q23), which results in an upregulation of C-Maf, but also in a considerable proportion (25%) of t(14;16)-negative patients. Here, we have studied MafB oncoprotein expression in MM patient samples, starting with samples tested for the t(14;20) (q32;q12) by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis.2 As a result, we only found protein expression of MafB confined to t(14;20)-positive patients. This is remarkable, as primary translocations involving MafB and C-Maf are grouped together according their expression and correlation of high CYCLIN D2 activity and poor prognosis in MM (reviewed in Chng et al.3).

As a result of the t(14;20) translocation, MafB is translocated to the immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain locus on chromosome 14, juxtaposed to the strong IgH-Eα enhancer, resulting in oncogenic overexpression of MafB. Primary translocations are major events in MM with a prevalence of about 40%.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Grant UU 2000–2278 of the Dutch Cancer Society, KWF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunology, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Ev Stralen & BJEG Bast

  2. Hubrecht Laboratory, Center for Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Ev Stralen, H Begthel & H C Clevers

  3. Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    R J Leguit

  4. Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    L Michaux & H Lemmens

  5. Department of Medical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    A Buijs

  6. Department of Clinical Biology, UCL Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium

    J M Scheiff

  7. Department of Hematology, UCL Mont-Godinne, Brussels, Belgium

    C Doyen

  8. Department of Hematology, Clinic of Saint-Joseph, Arlon, Belgium

    P Pierre

  9. Department of Hematology, CH De L'Ardenne, Libramont, Belgium

    F Forget

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Correspondence to Ev Stralen.

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Stralen, E., Leguit, R., Begthel, H. et al. MafB oncoprotein detected by immunohistochemistry as a highly sensitive and specific marker for the prognostic unfavorable t(14;20) (q32;q12) in multiple myeloma patients. Leukemia 23, 801–803 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2008.284

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