T lymphocytes lack rearrangement of the bcr gene in Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelocytic leukemia.
To study the possible involvement of T lymphocytes in Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) we analyzed the arrangement of the bcr gene in T cell and non-T cell samples of 12 CML patients. Although all the patients showed bcr rearrangements in non-T cell fractions, T cell populations lacked respective gene recombinations. Moreover, by Southern blot analyses using T cell receptor beta chain sequences our data indicate polyclonality of T cell samples from 11 of 12 cases; in one patient a clonal T cell population could be identified. These results suggest that T lineages of most Ph-positive CML patients are not derived from pluripotent stem cells involved in leukemogenesis and thus confirm previous investigations based on cytogenetic or glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase analyses. The demonstration of polyclonal T cell populations may reflect persistence of stem cells committed to differentiate only into T cells.
D003101:Collodion; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D010209:Paper; D010677:Philadelphia Chromosome; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
D003101:Collodion