[Detection and significance of chromosome abnormalities in patients with malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma using the polymerase chain reaction].

BACKGROUND

Morphology and immunological marker analysis are insufficient to detect neoplastic population in some cases (15%) of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (B-NHL). Aim of the study was to detect malignancy at molecular level using polymerase chain reaction.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We examined a diverse set of B-NHL (90 patients--48 men, range 18-76 years, mean age 53 years and 42 women, range 20-86 years, mean age 54 years) to detect immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) rearrangement. 32 patients with centroblastic-centrocytic lymphomas (12 men, range 45-64 years, mean age 52 years and 20 women, range 29-85 years, mean age 53 years) were also studied for translocation (14,18). DNA was isolated 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 of IgH PCR varied according to the morphologic type of the analyzed lymphoma specimen. A high detection rate (100%) was observed in low-grade lymphoma, while in high-grade lymphoma was in 62%. In bone marrows samples from follicular lymphomas, IgH PCR positivity was observed in 50% cases without leukaemic blood picture and in 64% cases with lymphoma cells in peripheral blood picture. In peripheral blood with bone marrow infiltration, but without the presence of lymphoma cells (morphological assessment) we observed 71% IgH PCR positive samples. In case, when bone marrow and peripheral blood were morphologic negative, we identified 64% positive cases. Using t(14,18) and IgH PCR we detected neoplastic population in 81% follicular lymphomas.

CONCLUSIONS

IgH PCR and t(14.18) PCR are convenient additional technology for detection of neoplastic lymphocytes in B-NHL, particularly when morphology and immunological marker analysis are insufficient.