EXPRESSION OF PAX3 IN EWINGS-SARCOMA FAMILY OF TUMORS

The Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) is the second most common pediatric malignancy originating in the bone and is characterized by t he t(11; 22) translocation. PAX3, a member of the paired box family of genes, is expressed during embryonal development of neural crest cell s and is involved in the t(2; 13) translocation found in alveolar rhab domyosarcoma. Since ESFTs are believed to be derived from neural crest tissue, we screened a series of Ewing's sarcoma and peripheral neuroe ctodermal tumor cell lines and tumor specimens for expression of PAX3. We found expression of PAX3 in most, but not all, of the specimens an alyzed, including cell lines and patient material. (C) 1997 Academic P ress.