Fusion of the Nucleoporin Gene, NUP98, and the Putative RNA Helicase Gene, DDX10, by Inversion 11 (p15q22) Chromosome Translocation in a Patient with Etoposide-related Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

We report a 50-year-old man who developed therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome after treatment with etoposide-including chemotherapy for extratesticular germ cell tumor. Chromosomal analysis showed inversion 11 (p15q22) translocation. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction amplification of patient RNA showed a fusion transcript of nucleoporin gene NUP98, and putative DEAD-box RNA helicase gene DDX10. NUP98 is implicated in the transformation through aberrant nucleocytoplasmic transport. DDX10 is suggested to be involved in ribosome assembly. The NUP98-DDX10 fusion transcript may promote the development of secondary hematological malignancies caused by DNA-topoisomerase II inhibitors through aberrant nucleocytoplasmic transport and/or alteration in ribosome assembly.