OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between immunoglobulin variable heavy chain (IgVH) gene mutation status and clinical features, pathologic findings and biologic behavior of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

METHODSIgVH gene was amplified in 60 cases of MCL with FR1-JH and FR2-JH primers in BIOMED-2. The sequence was determined by cloning. The IgVH somatic mutational status was analyzed using NCBI's Ig-Blast tool. The relationship between IgVH gene mutation status and clinicopathologic features was also analyzed.

RESULTSForty percent (24 cases, 28 functional Ig genes) of the MCL cases displayed somatically mutated VH genes (defined as > 2% mutated), whereas 60.0% (36 cases, 40 functional Ig genes) showed unmutated VH genes. The most widely used genes were VH3-21 (27.9%) and VH4-34 (19.1%). The former were mainly used by unmutated cases, while the later mainly by mutated cases.Intraclonal heterogeneity was noted in 19 cases. There was no correlation of VH mutation status and specific VH gene with survival (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSMCL comprises at least two subsets that do not correlate with morphology: one with unmutated VH genes and one with mutated VH genes. The biased use of VH3-21 and VH4-34 is noted. The nonrandom usage of IgVH segments suggests specific antigens may play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of MCL subsets. There is no correlation of IgVH mutation status and specific VH gene with survival.