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Lymphoma

Concurrent translocation of BCL2 and MYC with a single immunoglobulin locus in high-grade B-cell lymphomas

Leukemia volume 19, pages 659–663 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

B-cell leukaemia or lymphoma with a combination of t(8;14)(q24;q32) of Burkitt leukaemia/lymphoma and t(14;18)(q32;q21) of follicular lymphoma may present clinically as de novo acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or transformation of follicular lymphoma to aggressive histology diffuse lymphoma. A number of cell lines have been reported with a complex t(8;14;18) with fusion of MYC, IGH and BCL2 on the same derivative 8 chromosome. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and chromosomal features of this der(8)t(8;14;18) in a series of acute leukaemias and malignant lymphomas. A database of 1350 leukaemia and lymphoma karyotypes was searched for cases with structural alterations affecting both 8q24 and 18q21. A total of 55 cases were identified, of which eight revealed a complex der(8)t(8;14;18) with an MYC-IGH-BCL2 rearrangement resulting from translocation of BCL2 and MYC with a single disrupted IGH allele. Molecular cytogenetic investigation is essential to identify cases of high-grade leukaemia/lymphoma with concurrent translocations affecting the BCL2 and MYC loci.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the cytogenetic technologists of the Cancer Genetic Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, of the BC Cancer Agency. The high-quality cytogenetic and molecular cytogenetic analyses performed by this group have made this study possible. This research was also supported in part by NIH Grant #UO1-CA84967-1 (JMC, RDG, DEH). Stevan Knezevich is the first recipient of the Patricia Mansion Memorial Fellowship of the Lymphoma Foundation Canada (formerly the Lymphoma Research Foundation Canada).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, British Columbia Cancer Agency and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    S Knezevich, O Ludkovski, C Salski, V Lestou, M Chhanabhai, R D Gascoyne & D E Horsman

  2. Department of Cancer Genetics and Molecular Biology, British Columbia Cancer Agency and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    W Lam

  3. Department of Medical Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Agency and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    R Klasa & J M Connors

  4. MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Leicester, Leicestershire, UK

    M J S Dyer

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  1. S Knezevich
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  2. O Ludkovski
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  3. C Salski
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  4. V Lestou
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  5. M Chhanabhai
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  6. W Lam
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  7. R Klasa
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  8. J M Connors
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  9. M J S Dyer
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  10. R D Gascoyne
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  11. D E Horsman
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Correspondence to D E Horsman.

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Knezevich, S., Ludkovski, O., Salski, C. et al. Concurrent translocation of BCL2 and MYC with a single immunoglobulin locus in high-grade B-cell lymphomas. Leukemia 19, 659–663 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403661

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