title: Prognostic significance of molecular staging by PCR-amplification of immunoglobulin gene rearrangements in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
abstract: The prognostic value of the detection of peripheral blood (PB) and/or bone marrow (BM) involvement by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of rearranged immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) and immunoglobulin kappa light chain (Igkappa) genes was evaluated in 155 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL). Immunoglobulin gene rearrangements (IgR) were detected in 35/155 (23%) patients. The presence of IgR in PB/BM was related to clinical stage (CS I-III vs CS IV; P<0.001), histopathological detection of BM involvement (P<0.001), and the International Prognostic Index (P<0.001). IgR-positive cases had a significantly lower complete remission (CR) rate (18/35, 51%) than IgR-negative patients (85/120, 71%; P=0.042), and a significantly poorer overall survival (OAS) at 5 years (25 vs 66%; P<0.001). There was a significant difference in the estimated OAS at 5 years between patients with negative BM histology and negative PCR results (66%), patients with negative BM histology but positive IgR (37%), and patients with positive BM histology (12%). Our results indicate that molecular methods improve the accuracy of staging in patients with DLBCL and define a group of patients with normal bone marrow histology who have a significantly poorer OAS due to molecular detection of PB/BM involvement.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Division of Molecular Diagnostics, University of Vienna, Medical School, Währinger Gürtel, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mitterbauer-Hohendanner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mannhalter
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitterbauer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Skrabs
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chott
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Simonitsch-Klupp
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gleiss
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lechner
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jaeger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D002999:Clone Cells; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm