Translocation (14;18)-positive cells are present in the circulation of the majority of patients with localized (stage I and II) follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Stage I and II follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is clinically defined as a localized disease. To study the possibility that this disease is in fact disseminated, we used the sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method using translocation (14;18) as marker. Samples from 21 patients who were clinically diagnosed with stage I or II follicular NHL were analyzed for the presence of t(14;18)-positive cells using PCR. We analyzed (1) the diagnostic lymph node biopsy and (2) the peripheral blood or bone marrow samples from these patients. Translocation (14;18) cells were detected in the diagnostic lymph node biopsies of 12 patients. In 9 of these patients, t(14;18)-positive cells were detected in peripheral blood and/or bone marrow samples at diagnosis and/or after therapy. Thus, in 75% of the follicular NHL patients carrying the t(14;18) as a marker for lymphoma cells, t(14;18)-positive cells were detected in peripheral blood and bone marrow at diagnosis and after therapy. Our results show that t(14;18)-positive cells can be detected in the circulation of patients with stage I and II follicular NHL, indicating that, although diagnosed as localized, the disease is disseminated.
Department of Molecular Biology, Dr Daniel Den Hoed Cancer Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
A C
AC
Lambrechts
P E
PE
Hupkes
L C
LC
Dorssers
M B
MB
van't Veer
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2