title: Rearrangement of the T cell receptor gamma-chain gene in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: We analyzed rearrangements of the T cell receptor gamma-chain (T gamma) gene as well as rearrangements of the T cell receptor beta-chain (T beta) gene and immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IgH) gene in 68 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). All 15 patients with T cell ALL showed rearrangements of both T beta and T gamma genes. Twenty-four of 53 non-T, non-B ALL patients (45%) showed T gamma gene rearrangements and only 14 of these also showed T beta gene rearrangements. Only a single patient rearranged the T beta gene in the absence of T gamma gene rearrangement. The rearrangement patterns of the T gamma gene in non-T, non-B ALL were quite different from those observed in T cell ALL, as 20 of 23 patients retained at least one germline band of the T gamma gene. In contrast, all T cell ALL patients showed no retention of germline bands. These data indicate that rearrangement of the T gamma gene is not specific for T cell ALL. Further, the results also suggest that T gamma gene rearrangement precedes T beta gene rearrangement. The combined analysis of rearrangement patterns of IgH, T beta, and T gamma genes provides new criteria for defining the cellular origin of leukemic cells and for further delineation of leukemia cell heterogeneity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Research Institute Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tawa
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Benedict
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hozumi
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Gelfand
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D005796:Genes; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes