Genotypic and immunophenotypic characterization of two human light chain-only B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.
Two atypical human non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) that exhibited unusual genotypic and in situ immunophenotypic abnormalities are described. Immunophenotypically, both NHLs lacked surface Ig heavy chains. With the exception of the MB2 B-cell-associated antigen, no B- and T-cell differentiation antigen was detected in case 1. NHL 2 failed to show evidence of clonality by immunohistochemical analysis but revealed the presence of many B-lymphocytes with an abnormal phenotypic profile: CD19+, CD20+, CD22+, kappa-, lambda-, CD9-, CD10-, CD21-, and CD24-. Genotypic analysis indicated that both lymphomas derived from anomalously matured pre-B-cells that had rearranged the lambda or kappa light chain genes but not the Ig heavy chain gene. The neoplastic cells of the two NHLs resemble the light chain-only B-cells recently discovered, following Epstein-Barr virus immortalization, in the human bone marrow. The authors' data confirm, therefore, the existence of the light chain-only B-cells in the human hematopoietic compartment. Moreover, their results emphasize the conclusive role of the immunogenotypic analysis in defining clonality, lineage, and maturation abnormalities of such atypical NHLs.
De Re
V
V
Division of Experimental Oncology 1, Oncologic Reference Center, Aviano, Italy.
Carbone
A
A
Dolcetti
R
R
Tirelli
U
U
Folegotto
C
C
Boiocchi
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015328:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Light Chain; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains