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Clonal analysis by polymerase chain reaction of B‐cell lymphoma with late relapse: A report of five cases
Author(s) -
Nishiuchi Ritsuo,
Yoshino Tadashi,
Teramoto Norihiro,
Sakuma Isao,
Hayashi Kyouichi,
Nakamura Shigeo,
Seino Yoshiki,
Akagi Tadaatsu
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19960215)77:4<757::aid-cncr23>3.0.co;2-z
Subject(s) - polymerase chain reaction , lymphoma , follicular lymphoma , clone (java method) , immunoglobulin heavy chain , gene rearrangement , medicine , pathology , gene , cancer research , antibody , biology , immunology , genetics
BACKGROUND Little is known about the clonal heterogeneity of non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma between presentation and relapse, although several such reports have been published on acute lymphoblastic leukemia. METHODS We examined five patients with B‐cell lymphoma who relapsed more than 5 years after initial presentation. Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissues were analyzed for clonal immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of the PCR products. Four specimens retained the original histologic type, but one showed histologic transformation from diffuse large cell lymphoma to follicular small cleaved cell lymphoma. RESULTS Although the size of the PCR products looked identical on the gel between presentation and relapse in all patients, only three of the four specimens that retained the original type had identical gene rearrangements at both presentation and relapse. One of these four and the fifth specimen showed novel gene rearrangements. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that late relapse lymphoma may present as a new clone. Sequencing of the PCR products is important in the evaluation of clonal heterogeneity. Cancer 1996;77:757‐62.