title: T cell receptor alpha-chain gene rearrangements in B-precursor leukemia are in contrast to the findings in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Comparative study of T cell receptor gene rearrangement in childhood leukemia.
abstract: We have analyzed T cell receptor alpha-chain gene configuration using three genomic joining (J) region probes in 64 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). 11 out of 18 T-ALLs were T3 positive; alpha-chain gene rearrangements were demonstrated in only two of 18, indicating that the majority of T-ALLs would have rearrangements involving J alpha segments located upstream of these probes. In contrast, 15 out of 46 B-precursor ALLs showed rearrangements of the alpha-chain gene and J alpha segments located approximately 20-30 kb upstream of the constant region were involved in 13 of these patients. Nine of 15 B-precursor ALLs with rearranged alpha-chain genes had rearrangements of both gamma- and beta-chain genes, whereas the remaining six had no rearrangements of gamma- and beta-chain genes. These findings indicated that alpha-chain gene rearrangement is not specific for T lineage cells and gamma- and/or beta-chain gene rearrangement does not appear essential for alpha-chain gene rearrangement, at least in B-precursor leukemic cells.
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes; D002648:Child; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006801:Humans; D054218:Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics*; D011289:Preleukemia / Q000235:genetics*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes
chemical_list: D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell