title: Incidence and prognostic significance of t(14;18) translocation in follicle center cell lymphoma of low and high grade. A report from southern Sweden.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The t(14;18)(q21;q32) is the most common recurrent genetic defect in follicle center cell lymphoma (FCC). Conflicting reports exist in regard to a possible prognostic significance for the translocation.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a single center, 102 patients with either low-grade (n = 50) or high-grade (n = 52) FCC (Kiel classification) and a median follow-up of 82 months were retrospectively studied to determine survival in relation to t(14;18) as shown by either PCR of the bcl-2 rearrangement in paraffinized tissue or karyotype analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  t(14;18) was detected in 30 of 50 (60%) low-grade FCC and in 12 of 52 (23%) high-grade FCC. The presence of the t(14;18) was not related to morphologic bone marrow involvement or other clinical parameters, but it was related to age: in low-grade FCC, patients with t(14;18) were an average of 17 years younger (p = 0.002) than those without the translocation. In the group with high-grade histology, 30% survived beyond 60 months regardless of t(14;18) status (p = 0.92). Patients with low-grade histology and t(14;18) fared better than those without, irrespective of age (p = 0.01). No significant difference in disease-free survival related to t(14;18) was found in either low- or high-grade FCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of t(14;18) is in accord with that of other European reports. T(14;18) does not define a prognostic subset of high-grade FCC, but is significantly correlated with a better survival in low-grade FCC. The association of t(14;18) with younger age and indolent lymphoma is perplexing in light of recent findings of an age-related increase in t(14;18) in normal subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brun
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dictor
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rambech
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akerman
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
chemical_list: D004247:DNA