title: bcl-2 expression by multicolor flow cytometric analysis assists in the diagnosis of follicular lymphoma in lymph node and bone marrow.
abstract: The expression of bcl-2, CD10, and CD20 was examined by multicolor flow cytometry in 78 samples including lymph node or other tissue biopsy specimens containing follicular lymphoma (FL; n = 17), reactive hyperplasia (RH; n = 28), or other malignant lymphomas (n = 20), as well as bone marrow aspirates (n = 13). The presence of CD10+ cells with high bcl-2 expression predicted the presence of FL rather than RH with a positive predictive value of 100% and negative predictive value of 96%. CD10+ cells with high bcl-2 expression also were found in a subset of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas and were otherwise rare in other types of malignant lymphoma. In contrast with immunohistochemical studies, a reduced but apparently measurable level of bcl-2 was present in benign follicular center cells. Hematogones showed lower bcl-2 levels than did FL cells in the bone marrow, and neutrophils were bcl-2-. Measurement of bcl-2 expression levels by multiparameter flow cytometry offers a rapid, quantitative assessment that may assist in the diagnosis of FL in lymph nodes or bone marrow, even when other CD10+ cells or admixed normal B cells are present.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Fiona E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: Steven H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Swerdlow
mesh_terms: D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002469:Cell Separation; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019310:Pseudolymphoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2