[BCL-2 in primary central nervous system lymphomas. Immunohistochemistry and molecular biology].
BCL-2 is a membrane protein known to be an apoptosis inhibitor. It is the product of the bcl-2 gene located on chromosome 18. Several different tumors show BCL-2 over-expression as result of a translocation or independently from it. More than 85% of follicular lymphomas and a smaller number of diffuse large cell B lymphomas contain t(14;18) (q32;q21). The aim of this study was to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of the BCL-2 protein and to ascertain, by means of traditional PCR (Polimerase Chain Reaction), its possible dependence from t(14;18) (q32;q21) in 9 primary central nervous system lymphomas. Six cases (67%) shoved immunohistochemical BCL-2 over-expression and 3 cases (33%) had t(14;18). Precisely: 2 cases (22%) had immunohistochemical BCL-2 over-expression and t(14;18) (q32;q21); 4 cases (44%) had BCL-2 over-expression without translocation; 1 case (11%) did not show diffuse BCL-2 over-expression in presence of the traslocation; the remaining 2 cases (22%) did not demonstrate BCL-2 over-expression or t(14;18) (q32;q21). In conclusion, our results indicate primary central nervous system lymphomas frequently show BCL-2 over-expression that in some case may be related to t(14;18) (q32;q21). Nevertheless, t(14;18) (q32;q21), as evaluated by traditional PCR, may not correspond to diffuse immunohistochemical BCL-2 positivity.
Buccoliero
A M
AM
Dipartimento di Patologia Umana e Oncologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Universita di Firenze, Italy. Ambuccoliero@unifi.it
Castiglione
F
F
Caldarella
A
A
Rossi Degl'Innocenti
D
D
Taddei
A
A
Ammannati
F
F
Mennonna
P
P
Taddei
G L
GL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14 / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18 / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2