A model system for assessing and comparing the ability of exon microarray and tag sequencing to detect genes specific for malignant B-cells.

Background: Malignant cells in tumours of B-cell origin account for 0.1% to 98% of the total cell content, depending on disease entity. Recently, gene expression profiles (GEPs) of B-cell lymphomas based on microarray technologies have contributed significantly to improved sub-classification and diagnostics.