title: Comparison of germinal center markers CD10, BCL6 and human germinal center-associated lymphoma (HGAL) in follicular lymphomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, human germinal center-associated lymphoma (HGAL) gene protein has been proposed as an adjunctive follicular marker to CD10 and BCL6.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our aim was to evaluate immunoreactivity for HGAL in 82 cases of follicular lymphomas (FLs)--67 nodal, 5 cutaneous and 10 transformed--which were all analysed histologically, by immunohistochemistry and PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunostaining for HGAL was more frequently positive (97.6%) than that for BCL6 (92.7%) and CD10 (90.2%) in FLs; the cases negative for bcl6 and/or for CD10 were all positive for HGAL, whereas the two cases negative for HGAL were positive with BCL6; no difference in HGAL immunostaining was found among different malignant subtypes or grades.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therefore, HGAL can be used in the immunostaining of FLs as the most sensitive germinal center (GC)-marker; when applied alone, it would half the immunostaining costs, reserving the use of the other two markers only to HGAL-negative cases.
authors: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Pathological Anatomy, Polytechnic University of Marche Region, Ancona Hospital, Ancona, Italy. gaiagoteri@virgilio.it
authors: Gaia
authors: G
authors: Goteri
authors: Guendalina
authors: G
authors: Lucarini
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Zizzi
authors: Antonello
authors: A
authors: Costagliola
authors: Federica
authors: F
authors: Giantomassi
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Stramazzotti
authors: Corrado
authors: C
authors: Rubini
authors: Pietro
authors: P
authors: Leoni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C084103:BCL6 protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C476824:GCSAM protein, human; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; D015260:Neprilysin