Sagaert X, Maes B, Vanhentenrijk V, Baens M, Cutsem EV, Hertogh GD, Geboes K, Tousseyn T. T(11;18)(q21;q21)-positive gastrointestinal MALT lymphomas are heterogeneous with respect to the VH gene mutation status. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2011; 3(2): 24-32 [PMID: 21364843 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v3.i2.24]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Xavier Sagaert, MD, PhD, Senior Clinical Investigator FWO, Department of Morphology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Minderbroederstraat 12, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. xavier.sagaert@uzleuven.be
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Brief Article
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World J Gastrointest Oncol. Feb 15, 2011; 3(2): 24-32 Published online Feb 15, 2011. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v3.i2.24
T(11;18)(q21;q21)-positive gastrointestinal MALT lymphomas are heterogeneous with respect to the VH gene mutation status
Xavier Sagaert, Brigitte Maes, Vera Vanhentenrijk, Mathijs Baens, Eric Van Cutsem, Gert De Hertogh, Karel Geboes, Thomas Tousseyn
Xavier Sagaert, Vera Vanhentenrijk, Gert De Hertogh, Karel Geboes, Thomas Tousseyn, Department of Morphology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Brigitte Maes, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jessa Hospital, Hasselt, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Mathijs Baens, Department for Molecular and Developmental Genetics, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
Mathijs Baens, Department of Human Genetics, Catholic University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Eric Van Cutsem, Department of Digestive Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Author contributions: Tousseyn T, Maes B, Vanhentenrijk V and Sagaert X performed the majority of the experiments and analysed the data; Maes B and Sagaert X designed the study and wrote the manuscript; Van Cutsem E provided the clinical data; De Hertogh G, Van Cutsem E and Geboes K edited the manuscript.
Supported by A Grant of the “Belgian Cancer Association” and the “Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen”
Correspondence to: Xavier Sagaert, MD, PhD, Senior Clinical Investigator FWO, Department of Morphology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Minderbroederstraat 12, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. xavier.sagaert@uzleuven.be
Telephone: +32-16-341942 Fax: +32-16-336548
Received: July 15, 2010 Revised: December 31, 2010 Accepted: January 7, 2011 Published online: February 15, 2011
Abstract
AIM: To investigate how t(11;18)(q21;q21)-positive gastrointestinal MALT lymphomas relate to other marginal zone lymphomas with respect to the somatic mutation pattern of the VH genes and the expression of the marker CD27.
METHODS: The VH gene of 7 t(11;18)(q21;q21)-positive gastrointestinal MALT lymphomas was amplified by PCR using family specific VH primers and a consensus JH primer. PCR products were sequenced and mutation analysis of the CDR and the FR regions was performed. All cases were immunostained for CD27.
RESULTS: One case showed unmutated VH genes while the others showed mutated VH genes with mutation frequencies ranging from 1.3 to 14.7% and with evidence of antigen selection in 2 cases. These data suggest that the translocation t(11;18)(q21;q21) can target either B-cells at different stages of differentiation or naive B-cells that retain the capacity to differentiate upon antigen stimulation. All cases but one displayed weak to strong CD27 expression which did not correlate with the VH gene mutation status.
CONCLUSION: t(11;18)(q21;q21)-positive gastrointestinal MALT lymphomas are heterogeneous with respect to the VH mutation status and CD27 is not a marker of somatically mutated B-cells.
