Fine-needle aspiration of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Southern blot analysis for antigen receptor, bcl-2, and c-myc gene rearrangements.
To determine the utility of Southern blot analysis for fine-needle aspiration samples, the authors prospectively analyzed immunoglobulin, T-cell receptor, c-myc, and bcl-2 gene rearrangements in 27 cases of known or suspected lymphoma. Adequate DNA for analysis was obtained from 20 of 27 cases (74%), including 18 of 22 (82%) with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Patients whose tumors showed sclerosis, cellular degeneration, or necrosis yielded inadequate DNA. Of the 18 NHLs with successful Southern blot studies, 17 tumors had a B-cell lineage and one was an adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma; clonal integration of the human T-cell leukemia virus I (HTLV-I) genome was present in the latter case. Four cases had bcl-2 rearrangements and two had c-myc rearrangements. One patient with follicular small cleaved cell NHL that evolved to a small noncleaved cell NHL had coexisting bcl-2 and c-myc rearrangement in the aspiration specimen of the high-grade NHL, suggesting sequential bcl-2 and c-myc activation during the tumor's progression. Southern blot analysis is a useful technique for establishing tumor cell lineage, clonality, and the presence of oncogene rearrangements in fine-needle aspiration specimens of NHL.
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville 22908.
M E
ME
Williams
H F
HF
Frierson
S
S
Tabbarah
P S
PS
Ennis
D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D011946:Receptors, Antigen / Q000032:analysis
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D011946:Receptors, Antigen