c-kit Expression and mutations in peripheral T cell lymphomas, except for extra-nodal NK/T cell lymphomas.

The present study evaluated the expression and mutations of c-kit in peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs), except for extra-nodal NK/T cell lymphomas, as a potential target for treatment with imatinib mesylate. Fifty-two patients diagnosed with PTCLs (peripheral T-cell lymhoma, unspecified, 38 cases; angioimmunoblastic T-cell, 7 cases; anaplastic large cell, 7 cases) were enrolled. The immunohistochemistry was performed using standard procedures with anti-c-kit monoclonal IgG, while the c-kit mutations were analysed on paraffin-embedded specimens using PCR-single-stranded conformational polymorphism followed by direct DNA sequencing. The median age of the patients was 52 years (19 to approximately 75 years) with a male-to-female ratio of 69%:31%. Weak expression of c-kit was found in 16 (30.8%) patients, while only 3 (5.8%) patients exhibited mutations in exon 11 or exon 13. The c-kit mutations in exon 11 occurred at codon 558 (AAG --> TAG; Lys --> Stop) and at codon 571 (CTA --> ATA; Leu --> Ile), respectively, while the mutation in exon 13 occurred at codon 634 (CGG --> CGA; Arg --> Arg). The current study only found c-kit mutations in a few patients with PTCLs, except for extra-nodal NK/T cell lymphomas. Therefore, c-kit would not seem to be a good target for a new therapeutic approach to PTCLs.