Frequency of bcl-2/IgH translocation in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
OBJECTIVE
It has been previously suggested that t(14;18) translocation of bcl-2 to the immuno-globulin heavy chain (IgH) locus may contribute to pathogenesis of lymphoproliferative disorders related to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, including type II mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC).


METHODS
In this study, the presence or absence of t(14;18) translocation was determined in tumor biopsy specimens and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) for 48 NHL patients with chronic HCV infection.


RESULTS
In tumor biopsy specimens from 32 HCV-positive NHL patients, bcl-2/IgH translocation was detected in 1 of 13 patients with MC syndrome (7.7%) and 3 of 19 patients without MC syndrome (15.8%). In PBMCs from 23 HCV-positive NHL patients, this translocation was observed in 3 of 6 patients with MC syndrome (50%) and 4 of 17 patients without MC syndrome (23.5%). Interestingly, bcl-2/IgH translocation was found in 2 extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma tissues from HCV-infected patients.


CONCLUSIONS
However, additional studies are required to better clarify the relationship between this translocation and extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma development. Although the frequency of bcl-2/IgH translocation in PBMCs from patients with chronic HCV infection is higher than that of other NHL patients, this increased translocation rate remains to be elucidated.
Libra
M
M
Division of Experimental Oncology 1, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Italy. mlibra@unict.it
De Re
V
V
Gloghini
A
A
Callari
D
D
Malaponte
G
G
Travali
S
S
Mazzarino
M C
MC
Stivala
F
F
Boiocchi
M
M
Carbone
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D019254:Genes, bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2