JAK-STAT and G-protein-coupled receptor signaling pathways are frequently altered in epitheliotropic intestinal T-cell lymphoma

Leukemia. 2016 Jun;30(6):1311-9. doi: 10.1038/leu.2016.13. Epub 2016 Feb 8.

Abstract

Epitheliotropic intestinal T-cell lymphoma (EITL, also known as type II enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma) is an aggressive intestinal disease with poor prognosis and its molecular alterations have not been comprehensively characterized. We aimed to identify actionable easy-to-screen alterations that would allow better diagnostics and/or treatment of this deadly disease. By performing whole-exome sequencing of four EITL tumor-normal pairs, followed by amplicon deep sequencing of 42 tumor samples, frequent alterations of the JAK-STAT and G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathways were discovered in a large portion of samples. Specifically, STAT5B was mutated in a remarkable 63% of cases, JAK3 in 35% and GNAI2 in 24%, with the majority occurring at known activating hotspots in key functional domains. Moreover, STAT5B locus carried copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity resulting in the duplication of the mutant copy, suggesting the importance of mutant STAT5B dosage for the development of EITL. Dysregulation of the JAK-STAT and GPCR pathways was also supported by gene expression profiling and further verified in patient tumor samples. In vitro overexpression of GNAI2 mutants led to the upregulation of pERK1/2, a member of MEK-ERK pathway. Notably, inhibitors of both JAK-STAT and MEK-ERK pathways effectively reduced viability of patient-derived primary EITL cells, indicating potential therapeutic strategies for this neoplasm with no effective treatment currently available.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Enteropathy-Associated T-Cell Lymphoma / metabolism*
  • Enteropathy-Associated T-Cell Lymphoma / pathology
  • Female
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunit, Gi2 / genetics
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Humans
  • Janus Kinase 3 / genetics
  • Janus Kinases / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism*
  • STAT Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • STAT5 Transcription Factor / genetics
  • Signal Transduction* / drug effects
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • STAT Transcription Factors
  • STAT5 Transcription Factor
  • STAT5B protein, human
  • Janus Kinase 3
  • Janus Kinases
  • GNAI2 protein, human
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunit, Gi2