Chromosomal translocation detected by bcl-1 and bcl-2 rearrangement in low-grade B-cell lymphomas in a European population.

Twenty-nine cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of low-grade malignancy in a European population were investigated for the presence of bcl-2 and bcl-1 gene rearrangement. The cases were classified according to the Kiel classification. It was shown that bcl-2 gene rearrangements were exclusively confined to centroblastic-centrocytic lymphomas. bcl-1 rearrangements were found in two cases of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. As the chromosomal translocation t(14;18) is reported to occur in up to 85% of follicular lymphomas, our results provide additional evidence that the differentiation of low-grade B-cell lymphomas according to the Kiel classification defines biologically distinct entities.