title: Is t(14;18)(q32;q21) a constant finding in follicular lymphoma? An interphase FISH study on 63 patients.
abstract: The translocation (14;18)(q32;q21) is the hallmark of follicular lymphoma (FL). However, conventional cytogenetics and PCR techniques fail to detect it in at least 10% of cases. In order to evaluate the true incidence of this translocation in FL, we analyzed 63 patients with FL, and 17 patients with diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLCL) corresponding to suspected FL transformations using interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Colocalized signals related to the translocation were observed in 19-92% of cells (median = 51%), corresponding to positivity over the threshold in all (63/63) cases. Similarly, 16/17 possibly secondary DLCL displayed the translocation. Although some cytogenetic changes might be missed by this FISH assay (such as rare insertion, or translocations with other chromosomal partners), our results stress t(14;18)(q32;q21) as an almost constant finding in FL. Our sensitive interphase FISH assay should be of great value to define FL more accurately, namely in patients included into therapeutic trials. Furthermore, this approach could be of interest in (re)defining some types of FL, especially the grade 3 FL which frequently lack t(14;18).
authors.affiliation: Hematology Laboratory, University Hospital, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Godon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Talmant
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baranger-Papot
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Geneviève
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Milpied
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zandecki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Avet-Loiseau
mesh_terms: D002871:Chromosome Banding; D022202:Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14 / Q000235:genetics*; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18 / Q000235:genetics*; D015342:DNA Probes; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D005602:France; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007399:Interphase; D007621:Karyotyping; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D011003:Ploidies; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2