title: Molecular diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The distinction between Burkitt's lymphoma and diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma is crucial because these two types of lymphoma require different treatments. We examined whether gene-expression profiling could reliably distinguish Burkitt's lymphoma from diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tumor-biopsy specimens from 303 patients with aggressive lymphomas were profiled for gene expression and were also classified according to morphology, immunohistochemistry, and detection of the t(8;14) c-myc translocation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A classifier based on gene expression correctly identified all 25 pathologically verified cases of classic Burkitt's lymphoma. Burkitt's lymphoma was readily distinguished from diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma by the high level of expression of c-myc target genes, the expression of a subgroup of germinal-center B-cell genes, and the low level of expression of major-histocompatibility-complex class I genes and nuclear factor-kappaB target genes. Eight specimens with a pathological diagnosis of diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma had the typical gene-expression profile of Burkitt's lymphoma, suggesting they represent cases of Burkitt's lymphoma that are difficult to diagnose by current methods. Among 28 of the patients with a molecular diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma, the overall survival was superior among those who had received intensive chemotherapy regimens instead of lower-dose regimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gene-expression profiling is an accurate, quantitative method for distinguishing Burkitt's lymphoma from diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md, USA.
authors.forename: Sandeep S
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authors.lastname: Dave
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: George W
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authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Lloyd T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Philip
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authors.forename: Evert-Jan
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authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Weisenburger
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authors.lastname: Rosenwald
authors.forename: German
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authors.lastname: Ott
authors.forename: Hans-Konrad
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authors.lastname: Müller-Hermelink
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authors.lastname: Gascoyne
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authors.lastname: Delabie
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authors.lastname: Rimsza
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authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Braziel
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authors.lastname: Campo
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authors.lastname: Jaffe
authors.forename: Bhavana J
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authors.lastname: Dave
authors.forename: Warren
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authors.lastname: Sanger
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authors.lastname: Bast
authors.forename: Julie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vose
authors.forename: James O
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authors.lastname: Armitage
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Connors
authors.forename: Erlend B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Smeland
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authors.lastname: Kvaloy
authors.forename: Harald
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authors.lastname: Holte
authors.forename: Richard I
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authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Emilio
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authors.lastname: Montserrat
authors.forename: Wyndham H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Manisha
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authors.lastname: Bahl
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Liming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Wing C
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authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Staudt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B