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Relative distribution of tumour cells and reactive cells in follicular lymphoma
Author(s) -
Su W.,
Spencer J.,
Wotherspoon A. C.
Publication year - 2001
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/path.820
Subject(s) - follicular lymphoma , germinal center , lymphoma , pathology , biology , follicular phase , mantle zone , follicle , bcl6 , follicular dendritic cells , cancer research , b cell , antibody , immunology , medicine , t cell , endocrinology , immune system , antigen presenting cell
Follicular lymphoma is the most common low‐grade B‐cell lymphoma. It is characterized by at least a partial follicular growth pattern in the majority of cases, by the morphological resemblance of the tumour cells to follicle centre centroblasts and centrocytes, and by the distinctive expression of Bcl‐2 protein as a consequence of a translocation between chromosomes 14 and 18, resulting in the juxtaposition of Bcl‐2 and the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus. It is not known whether the follicular growth pattern of follicular lymphoma is a consequence of properties of the tumour cells, or whether the tumour cells invade and gradually occupy a niche generated by a normal T‐cell‐dependent B‐cell response. This study has identified cases of follicular lymphoma in which the tumour cells are apparent within a normal reactive germinal centre background. The reactive background has been investigated in these cases and also in cases showing a more characteristic appearance, in which entire malignant follicles appear to be Bcl‐2‐positive, as assessed by microdissection and analysis of clonality by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A reactive oligoclonal background was observed in all cases studied, characteristic of a normal follicle centre response. These data suggest that the progression of follicular lymphoma is dependent on the normal germinal centre microenvironment. Disruption of this dependence might be considered as a novel therapeutic strategy. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.