title: Translocation (18;22)(q21;q11) in B-cell lymphomas: a report of 4 cases and review of the literature.
abstract: Follicular lymphomas characteristically carry t(14;18)(q32;q21) which results in IGH-BCL-2 fusion. Variant translocations that juxtapose the BCL-2 gene with the immunoglobulin kappa (2p11) and lambda (22q11) light chain genes are rare. We report 4 cases of B-cell lymphoma/leukemia associated with t(18;22)(q21;q11). The t(18;22)(q21;q11) was the sole aberration identified by conventional cytogenetics in 2 cases. Three cases were classified as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and one as follicular lymphoma based on morphology and immunophenotype. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis was performed on all 4 cases using a BCL-2 breakapart probe. The BCL-2 gene was rearranged in all cases. Immunoglobulin lambda light chain gene rearrangement was shown in 3 cases using bacterial artificial chromosome probes spanning the variable and constant clusters of the IGlambda gene. Each case was negative for MALT-1 rearrangement using a MALT-1 breakapart probe. These cases illustrate that t(18;22)(q21;q11) is more commonly observed in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and may represent either an initial or secondary genetic event.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas, M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. peilin@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Rechna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jetly
authors.forename: Patrick A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lennon
authors.forename: Lynne V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Abruzzo
authors.forename: Sapana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prajapati
authors.forename: L Jeffrey
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Medeiros
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D002892:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 22; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D019254:Genes, bcl-2; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014178:Translocation, Genetic