title: Rearrangement of the T-cell receptor beta-chain gene in non-T-cell, non-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia of childhood.
abstract: We studied 50 patients with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), including 11 with T-cell ALL and 39 with non-T-cell, non-B-cell ALL. In addition to characterizing surface-antigen expression and immunoglobulin-gene rearrangement, we determined whether the T-cell receptor beta-chain gene also undergoes somatic rearrangement. All 11 patients with T-cell ALL had rearrangements of the beta-chain gene, with no persistence of the germline configuration. In two of these patients we demonstrated rearrangements of both the T-cell receptor gene and the immunoglobulin mu-heavy-chain gene. All 39 patients with non-T-cell, non-B-cell ALL had immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene rearrangements; in addition, 10 had rearrangements of the T-cell receptor beta-chain gene, indicating heterogeneity at the level of the T-cell receptor gene in this form of the disease. The results of our analysis of T-cell receptors and immunoglobulin heavy-chain genes offer new insight into normal and abnormal lymphocyte differentiation.
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions / Q000235:genetics; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D004247:DNA