Homogeneous immunophenotype and paucity of secondary genomic aberrations are distinctive features of endemic but not of sporadic Burkitt's lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with MYC rearrangement.
The present study has compared immunohistological marker expression profiles and genomic imbalances in seven African endemic Burkitt's lymphomas (eBLs) with those in ten European B-cell lymphomas with MYC rearrangement as shown by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. eBLs showed a typical histomorphology and a homogeneous immuno-profile: CD10+, CD38+, CD77+, bcl-2-, and IgM+. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA was present in all cases. On comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), only three out of six eBLs showed imbalances (median number of imbalances = 2), with gains on chromosome 17 in two eBLs. The European lymphomas were all highly proliferating, with a Ki-67 index of at least 90%, and included seven with morphology typical of sporadic Burkitt's lymphoma (sBL) and three immunoblastic diffuse large B-cell lymphomas with MYC rearrangement (MYCre+DLBCL). In contrast to eBL, the immuno-profiles of the European lymphomas were less homogeneous and inconsistent for CD10, CD38, CD77, IgM and bcl-2 expression. EBV DNA was not detected. In five of seven sBLs, CGH showed a higher number of imbalances (median = 6), with recurrent gains on chromosome 1q (3/7) and losses on 12q and 17p (2/7), whereas all three MYCre+DLBCLs had fewer imbalances (median = 4), with gains on 17q in two of three lymphomas. It is concluded that eBL has a homogeneous immunohistology and few secondary genomic aberrations, whereas MYC-rearranged and highly proliferating European B-cell lymphomas are a heterogeneous group that includes sBL and a subgroup of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.
Barth
Thomas F E
TF
Institut für Pathologie des Universitätsklinikums Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89081 Ulm, Germany.
Müller
Silja
S
Pawlita
Michael
M
Siebert
Reiner
R
Rother
Josef U
JU
Mechtersheimer
Gunhild
G
Kitinya
James
J
Bentz
Martin
M
Möller
Peter
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002455:Cell Division; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000235:genetics*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization