What's new in lymphoma cytogenetics?

Non-random chromosome abnormalities have been found in all types of malignant lymphomas. It is obvious that some cytogenetic abnormalities are associated with certain morphological types. Thus, among the Burkitt's lymphomas the 2;8-, 8;14- and 8;22-translocations are found in the great majority of cases; t(14;18) is associated with follicular lymphomas; +12 and t(11;14) with well differentiated lymphomas; and rearrangements of 14q11 and trisomy 3 with T-cell lymphomas. The molecular changes involving the c-myc oncogene and the immunoglobulin loci in Burkitt's lymphoma have been intensively studied. Among other non-Hodgkin's lymphomas the molecular mechanisms behind t(11;14) and t(14;18) in B-cell lymphomas and 14q11 rearrangements in T-cell lymphomas are starting to be unravelled. A number of other aberrations, such as +3, 6q-, and +12, have been associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma although the molecular mechanisms behind these rearrangements are still unknown. Very little is known about clinicocytogenetic correlations, but some observations clearly indicate that the karyotypic pattern is an important prognostic factor in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Contrary to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, very little is known about the cytogenetic findings in Hodgkin's disease. The sparse results, however, indicate that there are similarities to those in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.