Gene rearrangement of bcl-1 and bcl-2 is confined to distinct subgroups of high-grade malignant B-cell lymphomas.
The occurrence of bcl-1 and bcl-2 gene rearrangements was investigated in 37 cases of high-grade B-cell lymphomas. Bcl-2 rearrangement was detectable only in single cases of primary centroblastic lymphoma with a follicular growth pattern, whereas secondary centroblastic lymphomas evolving from a centroblastic-centrocytic lymphoma were positive in up to 60 per cent of the cases analysed. Bcl-1 rearrangement was found only in one case of immunoblastic B-cell lymphoma with a history of pre-existing lymphoplasmacytoid immunocytoma. It is concluded that there may be a subgroup of centroblastic lymphomas with a biology similar to that of centroblastic-centrocytic lymphomas. The detection of bcl-1 rearrangement in high-grade lymphomas may indicate a secondary high-grade lymphoma.
Institute of Pathology, University of Würzburg, Germany.
M M
MM
Ott
K
K
Dahlheimer
H K
HK
Müller-Hermelink
A C
AC
Feller
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000235:genetics*
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm