Journal List > Korean J Hematol > v.42(4) > 1032746

Cho, Park, Lee, Kim, Lee, Han, Park, Park, and Kim: Polymerase Chain Reaction and Sequencing of Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Gene Rearrangement in Formalin Fixed, Paraffin-embedded Tissue of Patients with B Cell Lymphoma

Abstract

Background:

Immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangement has been known to be a useful marker for determining the clonality as well as detecting minimal residual disease in B cell malignancies. This study was performed to establish single polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods for the detection of IgH gene rearrangements in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue of patients with B cell lymphoma and determine the type of JH segments used.

Methods:

We obtained formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 44 patients diagnosed with B cell lymphoma at Ajou University Hospital from January 2005 to January 2007 and reviewed medical records retrospectively. After the extraction of DNA, PCR was performed using VH3 and JHPST primers to detect the third complementarity determining region (CDR3) gene of IgH. Sequence analysis of the PCR products was also done in 23 patients.

Results:

The CDR3 gene rearrangements were detected in 26 (59%) out of 44 patients with B cell lymphoma. Sequence analysis of the amplified CDR3 gene was successful in 16 (70%) of 23 patients. JH3, JH4, JH5, and JH6 segments were used for CDR3 gene rearrangements in 3 (25%), 4 (33%), 1 (8%), and 4 (33%) patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma, respectively.

Conclusion:

Although there are some limitations due to a low sensitivity less than 60%, single PCR using consensus primers could be an effective tool for the detection of CDR3 gene rearrangements in routine laboratory settings. Furthermore, sequence analysis of the CDR3 PCR products will provide basic information necessary for further studies.

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Fig. 1
2% agarose gel electrophoresis of the PCR product amplified for CDR3 gene. M, size marker (100bp ladder); 1, positive control; 2∼4, positive samples; 5∼7, positive samples with one or more nonspecific bands; 8, negative control; 9, negative sample.
kjh-42-361f1.tif
Table 1.
Results of single PCR for the detection of CDR3 gene rearrangement in patients with B cell lymphoma
Diagnosis Positive Negative Detection rate (%)
DLBCL 20 13 61
MZL 3 3 50
FL 1 2 33
Burkitt lymphoma 2 0 100
Total 26 18 59

Abbreviations: DLBCL, diffuse large B cell lymphoma; MZL, marginal zone B cell lymphoma; FL, follicular lymphoma.

Table 2.
Frequencies of JH segment used for CDR3 gene rearrangement in patients with B cell lymphoma
Diagnosis JH3 JH4 JH5 JH6
DLBCL 3 4 1 4
MZL 1 2 0 0
FL 0 1 0 0
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