No rearrangements of the CHOP gene in malignant fibrous histiocytoma

Abstract

The human transcription factor gene, CHOP, which maps to 12q13, was recently shown to be disrupted by the t(12;16)(q13;p11) in myxoid liposarcoma. The most common soft tissue sarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) histopathologically may contain liposarcoma like areas and is often characterized by complex chromosome anomalies, which may include 12q13–15 aberrations, but never as t(12;16). By Southern blot technique, we detected no rearrangements of the CHOP gene in 41 MFH, including five with liposarcoma like areas. Thus, rearrangements of the CHOP gene appear to be specific for myxoid liposarcoma with t(12;16) and are not associated with lipoblastic differentiation.