Determination of B-cell clonality in paraffin-embedded endoscopic biopsy specimens of abnormal lymphocytic infiltrates and gastrointestinal lymphoma by polymerase chain reaction.
External and seminested polymerase chain reaction techniques were used to determine B-cell clonality in paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens of abnormal lymphocytic infiltrates and malignant lymphomas of the gastrointestinal tract. Using consensus primers for the variable and joining regions, the authors detected clonal immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene rearrangements in five of eight endoscopic biopsy specimens (62.5%) and six of eight resection specimens (75%) of well-characterized B-cell gastrointestinal lymphomas. No clonal rearrangements were detected in 21 negative controls including 7 cases of chronic gastritis and 7 cases of Crohn's disease. In endoscopic biopsy specimens of eight patients with abnormal lymphocytic infiltrates, clonal immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene rearrangement was found in three of six cases (50%) in whom gastrointestinal involvement by lymphoma was subsequently established. Therefore, polymerase chain reaction may be used to demonstrate B-cell clonality in paraffin-embedded endoscopic biopsy specimens of abnormal lymphocytic infiltrates and may circumvent the need for more invasive procedures.
Sukpanichnant
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S
Department of Pathology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-2561.
Vnencak-Jones
C L
CL
McCurley
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TL
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D002999:Clone Cells; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity