Cytogenetic and molecular genetic analysis of abnormal cells in Hodgkin's disease.

Overview

Eleven tumors from ten patients with Hodgkin's diseases (HD) were characterized by histologic, cytogenetic, immunophenotypic, and genotypic studies. Cell surface markers for lymphocyte antigens did not show clonal excess. Five tumors showed the presence of karyotypically abnormal cells, but no common abnormalities were found. The remaining six tumors showed normal karyotypes. Ten tumors were analyzed for gene rearrangements with probes for IgJH, IgCk. IgC lambda, and TCR-beta genes. The IgJH probe detected a minor clonal population (about 5%) in one tumor with abnormal karyotype; three tumors with abnormal karyotypes showed germline genotype. In contrast, four of the six tumors with normal karyotypes showed rearrangements in IgJH (one tumor) and in C-lambda (three tumors) genes. The pattern of gene rearrangement observed in these tumors did not obey the hierarchy described in B-cell differentiation. These results suggest that B-cell lineage cannot be attributed unequivocally to the clonal populations in HD.