title: Molecular epidemiology of follicular lymphoma in Chinese: relationship with bcl-2/IgH translocation and bcl-6 397G/C polymorphism.
abstract: The relative incidence of follicular lymphoma (FL) compared with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLCL) is low in Chinese. This may be due to a lower incidence of t(14;18)-mediated disease, a rapid transformation of FL to DLCL, or a lower incidence of FL-prone genetic polymorphisms (e.g., bcl-6 G397C). Using a conventional and long-distance polymerase chain reaction technique, we showed that 93% (43/46) of Chinese FL cases are t(14;18) related and are molecularly indistinguishable from Caucasian cases. The translocation was uncommonly found in Chinese DLCL cases (8/58, 14%). Furthermore, the incidence of bcl-6 hypermutation in FL and DLCL cases appeared to be comparable. These data do not suggest a high incidence of transformation from FL to DLCL in Chinese. Sequencing study also did not show an increased incidence of G397C polymorphism (heterozygote+homozygotes) in FL compared to a population with Chinese background or DLCL cases (25+5% vs 30+4% vs 22+3%). The reasons for the lower incidence of FL in Chinese remain unanswered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. auwing@hotmail.com
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Au
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D019254:Genes, bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D015994:Incidence; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
chemical_list: C084103:BCL6 protein, human; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6