title: Characterisation of BCL2-JH rearrangements in follicular lymphoma: PCR detection of 3' BCL2 breakpoints and evidence of a new cluster.
abstract: Follicular lymphomas (FL) are closely associated with a t(14;18)(q32;q21) translocation, leading to a bcl2 protein over-production. This translocation probably constitutes a very early step in the development of the disease. Besides the cytogenetic assay, t(14;18) detection can be achieved using either Southern blot or polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Since 1990, several publications have reported discrepancies between the results of cytogenetic and molecular analysis of t(14;18). Using methods able to explore long DNA fragments, several authors reported breakpoints located outside the usual breakpoint regions. However, these techniques cannot be easily used in routine. The aim of this study was to develop a simple PCR assay to amplify rearrangements usually not detected in FL. We selected a group of 83 patients with a t(14;18) on cytogenetic analysis: using usual probes and primers, 54/83 (65.1%) showed a MBR rearrangement, 7/83 (8.4%) were mcr positive and 22/83 (26.5%) remained negative. Among these 22 rearrangements, nine could be detected using this new PCR assay. Four breakpoints were located in a 20 bp area suggesting a recurrent breakpoint cluster close to an Alu repetitive sequence. Finally, remaining negative cases (13/83, 15.6%) suggest that other breakpoints are located between the MBR and mcr regions.
authors.affiliation: INSERM, EPI 9906, IFRMP, Génétique et Hématologie Moléculaire, Centre Henri Becquerel, Rouen, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buchonnet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lenain
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruminy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lepretre
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stamatoullas
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Parmentier
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jardin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duval
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tilly
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bastard
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2