Detection and Significance of Chromosomal Abnormalities inPatients with non-Hodgkin´s Lymphomas by Polymerase Chain Reaction

Overview

Background.
Morphology and immunological marker analysis areinsufficient to detect neoplastic population insome cases (15%) of non-Hodgkin´s lymphomas (B-NHL). Aim of the study was to detectmalignancy at molecularlevel using polymerase chain reaction.Methods and Results. We examined a diverse set of B-NHL (90 patients - 48men, range 18 - 76 years, mean age53 years and 42 women, range 20 - 86 years, mean age 54 years) to detect immunoglobulinheavy chain (IgH)rearrangement. 32 patients with centroblastic-centrocytic lymphomas (12 men, range 45 - 64years, mean age 52years and 20 women, range 29 - 85 years, mean age 53 years) were also studied fortranslocation (14,18). DNA wasisolated from lymphatic nodes, bone marrows and peripheral blood. Translocation (14,18)was founded in 38 %lymphatic nodes, 36 % bone marrows and in 50 % of peripheral blood. The detection rate ofIgH PCR varriedaccording to the morphologic type of the analyzed lymphoma specimen. A high detection rate(100%) was observedin low-grade lymphoma, while in high-grade lymphoma was in 62 %. In bone marrows samplesfrom follicularlymphomas, IgH PCR positivity was observed in 50 % cases without leukaemic blood pictureand in 64 % caseswith lymphoma cells in peripheral blood picture. In peripheral blood with bone marrowinfiltration, but without thepresence of lymphoma cells (morphological assessment) we observed 71 % IgH PCR positivesamples. In case,when bone marrow and peripheral blood were morphologic negative, we identified 64 %positive cases. Usingt(14,18) and IgH PCR we detected neoplastic population in 81 % follicular lymphomas.Conclusions. IgH PCR and t(14,18) PCR are convenient additionaltechnology for detection of neoplasticlymphocytes in B-NHL, particularly when morphology and immunological marker analysis areinsufficient.

Key words:
polymerase chain reaction, rearrangement, translocation (14,18), B-non Hodgkin´s lymphoma,neoplastic population.