title: Chromosomal aberrations in follicular non-Hodgkin lymphomas of Japanese patients, detected with comparative genomic hybridization and polymerase chain reaction analysis.
abstract: The t(14;18)(q32.3;q21), hallmark of follicular lymphoma (FL), is less frequently observed in Asian patients than in Westerners. Little is known about additional chromosomal aberrations in Asian FL patients. We applied comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to screen for genomic imbalances in 32 biopsy samples from 23 Japanese patients with nodal FL. The t(14;18) was assessed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers for the major (MBR), 3'MBR, minor (mcr), 5'mcr, and intermediate breakpoint cluster regions (icr). In 17 of 23 patients, CGH analyses detected genomic imbalances. Gains frequently affected chromosomes 18p (6 of 23), X (5 of 23), 5 (4 of 23), 12 (4 of 23), 2 (3 of 23), and 16 (3 of 23). The only recurrent loss affected chromosome 6q (2 of 23). A t(14;18) was detected in 13 of 23 patients (56.5%). Breakpoints were located in the MBR (10 patients), in the 3'MBR, in the mcr, and in the icr (1 patient each). The frequency of aberrations detected by CGH as well as relapse-free survival were not distinctly different between patients with and without a t(14;18). In summary, no significant difference in the overall frequency of aberrations compared with Westerners was found. Despite the extended primer set used, the frequency of PCR-detected t(14;18) remained low. Additional studies are required to assess the reasons for geographic variation in FL.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Genetics, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: D'Haese
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsukasaki
authors.forename: Friedrich W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Cremer
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Claus R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bartram
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jauch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D014178:Translocation, Genetic