title: Frequent aberrations of chromosome 8 in aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
abstract: Translocations involving chromosome 8 are the most common aberrations in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). The presence of the typical t(8;14)(q24;q32) or its variants has been confirmed in all cases of Burkitt lymphoma (BL), in some cases of Burkitt-like lymphoma (BLL), and in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The alterations lead to deregulated expression of c-myc protein by a chromosomal translocation joining C-MYC gene with sequences from immunoglobulin (Ig) enhancers. The C-MYC gene rearrangement plays an essential role in leukemogenesis of BL and probably plays a part in other aggressive NHLs. The present study was undertaken to compare the cytogenetic features in cases of BL, BLL, and DLBCL. We detected chromosomal aberrations by G-banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) painting in 10 cases of aggressive B-NHL and used FISH to visualize the C-MYC gene rearrangement. Chromosome 8 was most frequently involved in structural aberrations (8/10 cases), and 4 cases showed the typical t(8;14)(q24;q32). Only two of 5 patients suspected of having BL fulfilled all the criteria for this diagnosis; in the others, chromosome 8 was aberrant, but the absence of C-MYC rearrangement or the results of flow cytometry excluded the diagnosis of BL. All BLL cases showed C-MYC overexpression, but only one had a rearrangement of the C-MYC gene; the remaining cases showed other aberrations of chromosome 8. This study indicates that the mechanisms of C-MYC activation involved in BLL can be different from that for the BL.
authors.affiliation: Cytogenetic Laboratory, The Memorial M. Sklodowska-Curie Cancer Centre and Institute, Roentgen Str 5, 02-781 Warsaw, Poland. barpien@coi.waw.pl
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pienkowska-Grela
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Witkowska
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grygalewicz
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rymkiewicz
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rygier
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Woroniecka
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walewski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14; D002898:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007621:Karyotyping; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014178:Translocation, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured