title: Genetic heterogeneity of AIDS-related small non-cleaved cell lymphoma.
abstract: AIDS-related small noncleaved cell lymphoma (AIDS-SNCCL) includes Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) and high-grade B-cell Burkitt-like lymphoma (BLL). Due to the marked polymorphism of AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (AIDS-NHL), the morphologic distinction between these two types of lymphomas is frequently controversial, although it may bear clinical relevance. Although the molecular features of AIDS-BL have been clarified to a certain extent, the genetic peculiarities of AIDS-BLL have not been investigated in detail. In this study we have compared morphologic and genetic features of AIDS-BL and AIDS-BLL in a blind coded fashion. Molecular studies were focused on the genetic lesions known to be implicated in AIDS-NHL, including alterations of c-MYC, BCL-6, p53, deletions of 6q, as well as infection by EBV and HHV-8. Alterations of c-MYC occurred in 10/10 AIDS-BL, whereas they were restricted to 2/10 AIDS-BLL (P < 0.01). Mutations of p53 were present in 5/10 AIDS-BL, whereas they were consistently absent among AIDS-BLL (n = 10; P < 0.05). Infection by EBV occurred in 30% of both AIDS-BL and AIDS-BLL. Rearrangements of BCL-6, deletions of 6q and infection by HHV-8 scored consistently negative in both AIDS-BL and AIDS-BLL. Based on the genetic lesions tested, the molecular profile of AIDS-BLL appears to be closer to that of AIDS-related diffuse large cell lymphoma (AIDS-DLCL) than to that of AIDS-BL. In contrast to AIDS-BLL however, AIDS-DLCL carried rearrangements of BCL-6 in a fraction of cases (2/9). This study, the largest of its kind reported so far, suggests that AIDS-BL and AIDS-BLL have a different molecular pathogenesis and that characterization of genetic lesions may help to distinguish between these two lymphomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino at Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gaidano
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pastore
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gloghini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Canzonieri
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Capello
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Franceschi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saglio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carbone
mesh_terms: D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D016259:Genes, myc; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D016483:Lymphoma, AIDS-Related / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; D014157:Transcription Factors