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.
Division of Experimental Oncology 1, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Italy. mlibra@unict.it
M
M
Libra
V
V
De Re
A
A
Gloghini
D
D
Callari
G
G
Malaponte
S
S
Travali
M C
MC
Mazzarino
F
F
Stivala
M
M
Boiocchi
A
A
Carbone
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