OBJECTIVETo identify genetic alterations in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and to analyse the relationship between the genetic aberrations and the clinical characteristics.

METHODSUsing comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to investigate the genomic changes in 24 cases of DLBCL and to analyse the relationship between these aberrations and clinical parameters including Ann arbor stage, systemic symptoms, chemotherapy efficacy and survival.

RESULTSAberrations were detected in 62.5% patients of 24 cases; the most common chromosomal alterations included loss of 6q15-21 as well as gain of 18q11-ter, of which the incidences were 20.8% and 16.7%, respectively; with comparing clinical parameters between patients with normal CGH and abnormal CGH, we found that patients with abnormal CGH suffered more from stage III-IV and had higher incidence of systemic symptoms, poor chemotherapy efficacy and poor survival (P<0.05), but there was no difference observed in the incidence of extranodal involvement between two groups.

CONCLUSIONThe gains and/or losses of genomic DNA from DLBCL patients are the common molecular cytogenetic aberrations; loss of 6q15-21 and gain of 18q11-ter are nonrandom event to DLBCL patients; abnormal CGH is a clinical parameter reflecting malignant progressive course and poor survival to DLBCL patients.