Premium
BCL‐6 EXPRESSION IN REACTIVE LYMPHOID TISSUE AND IN B‐CELL NON‐HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMAS
Author(s) -
PITTALUGA STEFANIA,
AYOUBI TORIK A. Y.,
WLODARSKA IWONA,
STUL MICHEL,
CASSIMAN JEANJACQUES,
MECUCCI CRISTINA,
VAN DEN BERGHE HERMAN,
VAN DE VEN WIM J. M.,
DE WOLFPEETERS CHRIS
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9896(199606)179:2<145::aid-path565>3.0.co;2-1
Subject(s) - biology , gene rearrangement , gene , gene expression , immunohistochemistry , b cell , pathology , lymphoma , cancer research , antibody , immunology , genetics , medicine
Chromosomal abnormalities involving 3q27 have recently been associated with diffuse large B‐cell lymphomas and, less frequently, with follicular lymphomas. Molecular studies have led to the identification of the BCL‐6/LAZ‐3 gene, located at 3q27 and coding for a putative zinc‐finger protein that might act as a transcriptional regulator during cell differentiation and development. Rearrangement of BCL‐6 results in truncation of the gene in its 5′ portion, leaving the protein intact; a resultant deregulation of its expression has been hypothesized. In order to test this hypothesis, the expression of BCL‐6 protein was investigated in human reactive lymphoid tissue and compared with a group of non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) with or without 3q27 anomalies and/or BCL‐6 gene rearrangement. BCL‐6 protein is consistently expressed in reactive lymphoid tissues, where it is restricted to the follicle centre. The protein is also widely expressed in NHL: all follicular lymphomas tested showed a pattern of expression similar to the reactive B follicle, independently of the presence of BCL‐6 gene rearrangement and/or 3q27 anomalies. In the diffuse large B‐cell lymphomas, there was more variation in BCL‐6 expression, but a correlation with 3q27 anomalies and/or BCL‐6 rearrangement was not found. Deregulation of the BCL‐6 gene did not result in an aberrant tissue expression as detected by immunohistochemistry.