title: Detection of MALT1 gene rearrangements in BAL fluid cells for the diagnosis of pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma constitutes approximately 90% of primary pulmonary lymphoma, and the diagnosis of pulmonary MALT lymphoma often requires invasive methods such as surgical lung biopsy. Chromosomal rearrangements involving MALT lymphoma translocation gene 1 (MALT1) have been reported to be specific for MALT lymphoma. The combination of BAL and cytologic approaches with molecular methods is useful for the diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disorders. Therefore, we examined the detection of MALT1 gene rearrangements in BAL fluid (BALF) cells for the diagnosis of MALT lymphoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We determined the percentage of BALF cells with MALT1 gene rearrangements by using the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method in 10 patients suspected to have pulmonary MALT lymphoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MALT1 gene rearrangements in BALF cells were found in four of five cases with pulmonary MALT lymphoma (percentage of BALF cells with MALT1 gene rearrangements: 21.8% ± 6.8%). On the other hand, MALT1 gene rearrangements in BALF cells were negative in the five cases without pulmonary MALT lymphoma and one case with pulmonary MALT lymphoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the detection of MALT1 gene rearrangements in BALF cells is useful for the diagnosis of pulmonary MALT lymphoma, as it is a specific method that is less invasive than surgical biopsy. Because of the small number of patients in this study, further investigations are necessary to evaluate the detection rate of MALT1 gene rearrangements in BALF cells from patients with pulmonary MALT lymphoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan. Electronic address: t-kido@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kido
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yatera
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasumasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Minako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kozaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tokuyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogoshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawanami
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Chiharu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yoshii
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mukae
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D020169:Caspases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000074884:Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma Translocation 1 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D020169:Caspases; C400109:MALT1 protein, human; D000074884:Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma Translocation 1 Protein