RT-PCR suggests human skeletal muscle origin of alveolar soft-part sarcoma

In 1952, Christopherson et at. proposed that alveolar soft-part sarcoma (AS PS) was a distinct entity with unique clinical and pathological features. S ince their report, its histogenesis has not been determined. In order to cl arify the histogenesis of ASPS, a study using reverse transcription polymer ase chain reaction using cDNAs from MyoD1 and myogenin, and the actin filam ent from human-skeletal-muscle-related mRNAs has been performed in 5 cases of ASPS. The expression of MyoD1 and myogenin was determined in 5 and 2 cas es of the 5 cases, respectively. Moreover, expression of the many mRNAs fro m the actin filament of skeletal muscle was also found in ASPS. According t o these findings, it is now postulated that ASPS is of skeletal muscle orig in. Copyright (C) 2000 S. KargerAG, Basel.