title: Clinical and pathological features of Burkitt lymphoma showing expression of BCL2--an analysis including gene expression in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue.
abstract: The differential diagnosis between Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) can be challenging. BL has been reported to express less BCL2 than DLBCL, but this issue has not been analysed systematically. BL expressing BCL2 can be considered to be MYC/BCL2 co-expressors, a feature that is associated with poorer outcome in DLBCL but that has not been correlated with outcome in BL so far. We analysed the expression of BCL2 in 150 cases of conventionally diagnosed BL using two different BCL2 antibodies. BCL2 expression was detected in 23% of the cases, though the expression varied in intensity and number of positive cells. We did not detect any relevant differences in clinical presentation and outcome between BCL2-positive and BCL2-negative BL in a subgroup of 43 cases for which detailed clinical data were available. An independent cohort of 17 BL with expression of BCL2 were analysed molecularly, with 13 of 17 cases classified as molecularly defined BL (Burkitt Lymphoma) using gene expression profiling on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. The four lymphomas diagnosed molecularly as intermediates did not differ in clinical presentation and outcome from molecularly defined BL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Haematopathology Section and Lymph Node Registry, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel/Christian-Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Neus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Masqué-Soler
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Haematopathology Section and Lymph Node Registry, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel/Christian-Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szczepanowski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kohler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel/Christian-Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Sietse M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Aukema
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel/Christian-Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nagel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel/Christian-Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel/Christian-Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Siebert
authors.affiliation: Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spang
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, University Children's Hospital, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burkhardt
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Haematopathology Section and Lymph Node Registry, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel/Christian-Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Klapper
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D019254:Genes, bcl-2; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016707:Tissue Fixation; D014178:Translocation, Genetic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D005557:Formaldehyde
keywords: Burkitt; MYC; NanoString; classifier; diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; nCounter