A study of Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg cells using single cell polymerase chain reaction.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the characteristics of Hodgkin/Reed-Stemberg (H/R-S) cells found in patients with various types of Hodgkin's disease (HD).


METHODS
H/R-S cells were micropicked from frozen sections of tissues affected by HD. The DNA from these cells was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using immunoglobulin heavy chain gene FR III a/JH primers and light chain gene family-specific primers.


RESULTS
A total of 52/135 (35.8%) isolated cells showed the specific products in the reactions. IgH and V kappa 4 rearrangements were repeatedly found in many cells from a lymphocyte predominance type sample; repeated V kappa 4 and individual IgH/V kappa 2,4 rearrangements and individual IgH, V lambda 3/ V kappa 4 rearrangements were found in two different cases of the nodular sclerosis type; repeated IgH/ V lambda 3 and individual V lambda 2,4 rearrangements, repeated V kappa 2,4 rearrangements, repeated V kappa 4 and individual IgH/ V kappa 3 rearrangements, repeated IgH and individual V kappa 3/ V lambda 4 rearrangements were detected in 3 cases of the mixed cellularity type. Repeated and individual IgH rearrangements were found in other 2 cases.


CONCLUSIONS
The H/R-S cells isolated from the lymphocyte predominance subtypes of HD have IgH and V lambda 4 gene rearrangements. This suggests that the lymphocyte predominance type is a proliferation of neoplastic B cells. The cells isolated from the mixed cellularity and nodular sclerosis types derive from B lineage cells at various stages of differentiation because of the presence of their IgH, kappa and/or lambda gene rearrangements. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the lambda gene rearrangement was detected in H/R-S cells.
Deng
F
F
Department of Pathology, Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi 563003, China.
Liao
L
L
Lü
G
G
Li
G
G
Yang
G
G
D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000378:metabolism*
D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains