Detection of clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangements by polymerase chain reaction amplification and single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis.
Analysis of immunoglobulin gene rearrangements by Southern blotting is a sensitive and specific method for detecting B cell malignancies but requires a relatively large amount of intact DNA. It cannot be utilized in many cases where only a small amount of tissue is available or where the tissue has been fixed. This report demonstrates that polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification in conjunction with single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis can be utilized to detect clonal immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangements. IgH gene rearrangements from a series of frozen or formalin-fixed B cell malignancies were PCR-amplified using oligonucleotide primers, based upon consensus sequences in the IgH variable and joining regions. Analysis of the single-stranded PCR products on nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels revealed discrete SSCPs corresponding to the malignant B cells. These SSCPs were detectable when the malignant cells represented as few as 0.2% of the total mononuclear cells in peripheral blood. PCR amplification in conjunction with SSCP analysis thus provides a sensitive and specific method to detect clonal IgH rearrangements from minute amounts of fresh, frozen, or fixed tissue.
Davis
T H
TH
Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, MA 02215.
Yockey
C E
CE
Balk
S P
SP
D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000235:genetics*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D015321:Gene Rearrangement / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains