title: Molecular analysis of the immunoglobulin VH gene rearrangement in a primary cutaneous immunoblastic B-cell lymphoma by micromanipulation and single-cell PCR.
abstract: The immunoglobulin VH gene rearrangement in a primary cutaneous, large-cell (centroblastic and immunoblastic) B-cell lymphoma was analyzed using a micromanipulation/single-cell polymerase chain reaction technique. In all single B cells obtained from CD20-stained skin sections that gave a polymerase chain reaction product (eight of 27 in biopsy I), the same VHDJH rearrangement, consisting of DP-54-DIR1-JH3a genes, was detected, with no intraclonal nucleotide diversity. Comparison with the most closely related germline counterpart showed significantly altered complementarity determining gene regions as a result of somatic mutations, suggesting an antigen-driven selection and expansion ofthis particular B-cell clone. Interestingly, in a biopsy obtained from the patient 9 mo later, during disease progression (deep muscle infiltration), the lymphoma cells again contained the same VHDJH gene rearrangement (six of 18 in biopsy II) without any further somatic mutations. Therefore, it is suggested that the cutaneous lymphoma characterized throughout this study descended from postgerminal center B-cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Medical Faculty (Charité), Humboldt-University Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gellrich
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Golembowski
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Audring
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jahn
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sterry
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002469:Cell Separation; D005260:Female; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008846:Micromanipulation; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*