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Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction on fine needle aspirates for rapid detection of translocations in
1Department of Cellular and Molecular Tumor Pathology, Cancer Center Karolinska, Sweden.
Objective:
To evaluate the utilization of fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy to obtain material for reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the detection of the t(X;18)(p11.2;q11.2) translocation in synovial sarcomas.
Study Design:
We applied RT-PCR to detection of synovial sarcoma fusion gene transcripts on fine needle aspirates. Five clinical samples were first analyzed: one was a tumor previously diagnosed as malignant hemangiopericytoma, one was a poorly defined tumor, and three were suspected synovial sarcomas. FNA material was transferred directly to the RT-PCR reaction tube without RNA extraction.
Results:
The t(X;18) translocation could be detected on the limited amount of material that FNA provides. In each of the cases studied the representivity of the tumor samples was confirmed microscopically.
Conclusion:
Our protocol permits analysis directly on representative samples without extraction of RNA. The results imply that RT-PCR offers reliable detection of sarcoma fusion gene transcripts on fine needle aspirates. The procedure, apart from being applicable to outpatients, is rapid and sensitive.