title: Non-productive or thalassemic-like heavy-chain gene rearrangement in a K-chain CLL clone.
abstract: Information obtained from the study of immunoglobulin (Ig) gene rearrangement in different types of lymphoproliferative disorders has led to the suggestion that Ig gene activation obeys a precise hierarchy in which heavy-chain gene rearrangement procedes light-chain gene recombination. However no information is available on the mechanism(s) controlling this sequential activation. We report here a case of CLL which suggests that the expression of the heavy-chain genes is not necessary for light-chain gene rearrangement, or that very low amounts of heavy-chain mRNA and/or heavy chains are sufficient to activate k-chain genes.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Felicetti
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Colombo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002999:Clone Cells; D005260:Female; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007128:Immunoglobulin Fragments / Q000235:genetics*; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D007128:Immunoglobulin Fragments