Rearrangements of the BCL6 gene in diffuse large cell non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma
F Lo Coco, BH Ye, F Lista, P Corradini, K Offit, DM Knowles, RS Chaganti and R Dalla-Favera
Department of Pathology, College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia
University, New York, NY 10032.
The pathogenesis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) with a large cell
component (DLLC, including diffuse large cell, DLCL; diffuse mixed cell,
MX-D; and immunoblastic, IMB) is unknown. A novel candidate proto-
oncogene, BCL6, that is involved in chromosome band 3q27 aberrations in NHL
has been recently identified. We have investigated the incidence and
disease-specificity of BCL6 rearrangements in a large panel of lymphoid
tumors, including acute and chronic lymphoid leukemias (96 cases), various
NHL types (125 cases), and multiple myelomas (23 cases). BCL6
rearrangements were found in 16/45 (35.5%) DLLC, more frequently in DLCL
(15/33, 45%) than in MX-D (1/10, 10%), in 2/31 (6.4%) follicular NHL, and
in no other tumor types. BCL6 rearrangements represent the first genetic
lesion specifically and recurrently associated with DLLC and should prove
useful for understanding the pathogenesis as well as for the clinical
monitoring of these tumors.
Volume 83,
Issue 7,
pp. 1757-1759,
04/01/1994
Copyright © 1994 by The American Society of Hematology
