Rearranged immunoglobulin light chain genes as minimal residual disease markers in intermediate- and high-grade malignant B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Minimal residual disease (MRD) detection in B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients has been shown to be possible using the rearranged heavy (IgH) chain gene as a tumor marker. To explore a second independent tumor marker, we used specific PCR primer sets to identify tumor-specific rearranged Ig light chain (IgL) genes. Rearranged IgL genes were amplified from lymphoma DNA by multiplex PCR using separate primer sets for the Igkappa and the Iglambda genes.

Detection of minimal disease using rearranged immunoglobulin heavy chain genes from intermediate- and high-grade malignant B cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Rearranged immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) genes provide unique clonal markers for B cells. Since amplification of the rearranged gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and demonstrating that the amplified sequence is indeed derived from tumor cells is more problematic in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) than in other B cell malignancies, we used a comprehensive PCR primer set and formulated stringent selection criteria to identify tumor-specific rearranged IgH genes. Rearranged IgH genes amplified from lymphoma DNA were considered to be of tumor origin if they were monoclonal, and if the same rearrangement was amplified with at least two independent VH-specific primers.

Clinical significance of t(14; 18)-positive cells in the circulation of patients with stage III or IV follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma during first remission.

Purpose: To evaluate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis as a method for the detection of circulating lymphoma cells in patients with stage III and IV t(14; 18)-positive follicular Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in first remission in a longitudinal prospective study.

Patients And Methods: Peripheral blood or bone marrow from eight patients with stage III and IV t(14; 18)-positive NHL was studied using PCR to detect the presence of t(14; 18)-positive cells in the circulation at different times during first remission.

Results: In four of six patients with no clinical evidence of disease (NCED), t(14; 18)-positive cells were detectable in the circulation.

Genomic organization of the translocations (8;14) and (14;18) in a new lymphoma cell line.

We generated a new lymphoma cell line carrying the translocations (8;14) and (14;18) and studied the genomic organization and expression of the BCL-2 and MYC genes. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern analysis showed that the breakpoints of t(14;18) were located in the major breakpoint region (mbr) of the BCL-2 gene and just 5' of JH6 in the IgH locus. The breakpoints of the t(8;14) were located upstream of exon 2 in the non-coding region of the MYC gene and near the switch region of the IgH locus.

Translocation (14;18)-positive cells are present in the circulation of the majority of patients with localized (stage I and II) follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Stage I and II follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is clinically defined as a localized disease. To study the possibility that this disease is in fact disseminated, we used the sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method using translocation (14;18) as marker. Samples from 21 patients who were clinically diagnosed with stage I or II follicular NHL were analyzed for the presence of t(14;18)-positive cells using PCR.