Figure 2: Loss of MAX expression in both sporadic and NF-1-associated syndromic GISTs.
From: MAX inactivation is an early event in GIST development that regulates p16 and cell proliferation
MAX protein inactivation is demonstrated by immunoblotting GIST snap-frozen biopsies from sporadic (a) and NF-1-associated (b) cases. MAX wild-type GIST430 cell line and MAX-mutant GIST48 cell line are positive and negative controls, respectively. MAX inactivation was defined by expression level <0.4, normalized to GIST430. ‘L’ denotes low risk, ‘I’ intermediate risk, ‘H’ high risk and ‘M’ metastatic. The cases, from left to right in a are 21, 22, 32, 3, 39, 58 and 53, and in b are 73, 68, 71, 74, 76, 75 and 7. Residual MAX expression in MAX-mutant cases (53, 73, 68, 76 and 7) results from non-neoplastic cells (fibroblasts, endothelial cells and inflammatory cells) and from admixed precursor GIST cells that had not yet acquired the MAX mutations.
