High incidence of the t(2;5)(p23;q35) translocation in anaplastic large cell lymphoma and its lack of detection in Hodgkin's disease. Comparison of cytogenetic analysis, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and P-80 immunostaining.

Fifty-six cases of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), 23 cases of Hodgkin's disease, and 16 cases of diffuse large cell lymphoma were investigated for the t(2;5)(p23;q35) translocation. The translocation was detected by using cytogenetic analysis, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry with P80 antibody directed against the kinase domain of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) of the chimeric NPM/ALK protein. In all but three cases of ALCL, we found an agreement between cytogenetic analysis, RT-PCR, and P80 staining.