Most immunoglobulin heavy chain switch mu rearrangements in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia are internal deletions.

We investigated 38 cases of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) for the presence of non-productive rearrangements in the S(mu) regions and defined for the first time the molecular nature of these rearrangements. Southern blot analysis revealed S(mu) region rearrangements in 13 cases (34%) and polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) indicated that these rearrangements consisted of internal deletions of the S(mu) region. Long-distance PCRs localized the S(mu) deletions in the V(H)DJ(H) rearranged allele in most cases. We investigated if S(mu) deletions were related to V(H) somatic mutations that, together with isotype switch recombination, are indicative of the B-cell maturation stage. No significant correlation between the presence of S(mu) deletions and V(H) somatic mutations was found, indicating that the two processes are independent in B-CLL. Moreover no significant correlation between S(mu) deletions and prognosis was observed. Having shown that S(mu) internal deletions are not chromosome translocations rules out their involvement in the onset of malignancy, while their localization in the V(H)DJ(H) rearranged alleles suggests a possible role in the stabilization of the isotype of the expressed immunoglobulin.