Comparison of BIOMED-2 versus laboratory-developed polymerase chain reaction assays for detecting T-cell receptor-gamma gene rearrangements.
Detecting clonal T-cell receptor (TCR)-gamma gene rearrangements (GRs) is an important adjunct test for diagnosing T-cell lymphoma. We compared a recently described assay (BIOMED-2 protocol), which targets multiple variable (V) gene segments in two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reactions (multi-V), with a frequently referenced assay that targets a single V gene segment in four separate PCR reactions (mono-V). A total of 144 consecutive clinical DNA samples were prospectively tested for T-cell clonality by PCR using laboratory-developed mono-V and commercial multi-V primer sets for TCR-gamma GR. The combination of TCR-beta, mono-V TCR-gamma and multi-V TCR-gamma detected more clonal cases (68/144, 47%) than any individual PCR assay. We detected clonal TCR-beta GR in 47/68 (69%) cases. Using either mono-V or multi-V TCR-gamma primers, the sensitivities for detecting clonality were 52/68 (76%) or 51/68 (75%). Using both mono-V and multi-V TCR-gamma primers improved the sensitivity for detecting clonality, 60/68 (88%). Combining either mono-V or multi-V TCR-gamma primers with TCR-beta primers also improved the sensitivity, 64/68 (94%). Significantly, TCR-gamma V11 GRs could only be detected using the mono-V-PCR primers. We conclude that using more than one T-cell PCR assay can enhance the overall sensitivity for detecting T-cell clonality.
Patel
Keyur P
KP
Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, 111 E. 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467, USA.
Pan
Qiulu
Q
Wang
Yanhua
Y
Maitta
Robert W
RW
Du
Juan
J
Xue
Xiaonan
X
Lin
Juan
J
Ratech
Howard
H
D001483:Base Sequence; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D015329:Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*
D017931:DNA Primers; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta