Pleomorphic adenomas and mucoepidermoid carcinomas of the breast are underpinned by fusion genes

Abstract

Primary pleomorphic adenomas (PAs) and mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MECs) of the breast are vanishingly rare. Here we sought to determine whether breast PAs and MECs would be underpinned by the fusion genes reported to occur in their salivary gland counterparts. Our study included three breast PAs and one breast MEC, which were subjected to RNA sequencing (PAs, <i>n</i> = 2; MEC, <i>n</i> = 1) or to Archer FusionPlex sequencing (PA, <i>n</i> = 1). Our analyses revealed the presence of the <i>HMGA2</i>-<i>WIF1</i> fusion gene in breast PA3, the <i>CTNNB1</i>-<i>PLAG1</i> fusion gene in breast PA2, and the <i>CRTC1</i>-<i>MAML2</i> fusion gene in the breast MEC analyzed (1/1). No oncogenic fusion genes were detected in breast PA1, and no additional oncogenic fusion genes were detected in the cases studied. The presence of the fusion genes identified was validated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (<i>n</i> = 1), reverse transcription-PCR (<i>n</i> = 1), or by both methods (<i>n</i> = 1). Taken together, our findings indicate that PAs and MECs arising in the breast resemble their salivary gland counterparts not only phenotypically but also at the genetic level. Furthermore, our data suggest that the molecular analysis of breast PAs and MECs might constitute a useful tool to aid in their differential diagnosis.