OBJECTIVETo explore detection of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (IgH) rearrangement by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) for minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring in adult B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) patients.

METHODSDNA samples of fifteen newly diagnosed adult B-ALL patients were collected. The IgH gene rearrangements were detected by PCR followed by sequencing and subsequent blasting for monoclonal PCR products. Allele-specific oligonucleotides (ASO) were designed based on the sequence of junction regions, using PRIMER 5.0 software. MRD targets were detected in 115 bone marrow samples by RQ-PCR, in which ASO upstream primers in combination with the consensus JH probes and downstream primers were used. Transcripts copies of bcr-abl fusion gene were also measured in 7 Ph(+) ALL cases.

RESULTSThe detection sensitivity of ASO-PCR varied between 10(-3) and 10(-5) leukemia cells in 15 adult ALL patients. The background and nonspecific amplification was detectable at a low level. Quantification monitoring MRD showed that high-risk adult ALL patients in complete remission (CR) had a higher MRD level than those of standard-risk. Patients with MRD > 10(-3) had a higher relapse rate and a shorter survival time. Besids, the dynamic curves of the quantified level of respective IgH rearrangement were consistent with the expression levels of bcr-abl fusion genes in seven Ph(+) patients during follow-up.

CONCLUSIONSThe individual quantification of IgH rearrangement by RQ-PCR using ASO primers was a sensitive, specific and reliable method for accurate evaluation of malignant clones. These data indicates a close correlation between the level of rearranged IgH and the treatment response and prognosis in adult ALL patients. It may be a helpful method for monitoring MRD in clinical trials.

Adult ; DNA Primers ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains ; genetics ; Immunoglobulins ; therapeutic use ; Neoplasm, Residual ; diagnosis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; genetics ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; genetics

A case of intestinal angiocentric T/NK-cell lymphoma in a 58-year-old man is reported. The patient presented initially with panperitonitis because of perforation of sigmoid colon diverticulum. He underwent segmentectomy of involved bowel. Histologically, the intestinal wall showed diffuse infiltration of medium or large size lymphoma cells with angiocentric growth and necrosis. The lymphoma cells were CD56+, CD45RO+, CD3+, CD4-, CD8-, CD20-, and CD30- in paraffin sections with germline configuration of TCR-gamma gene, consistent with T/NK-cell lymphoma. Further staging revealed splenomegaly. Intestinal angiocentric T/NK cell lymphoma represents a distinct etiology of diverticulum with perforation.
Antigens, CD56/analysis ; Case Report ; Colon/pathology* ; Colonic Neoplasms/radiography ; Colonic Neoplasms/pathology* ; DNA, Neoplasm/analysis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diverticulitis, Colonic/radiography ; Diverticulitis, Colonic/pathology* ; Human ; Immunoglobulins, Heavy-Chain/genetics ; Killer Cells, Natural/pathology* ; Killer Cells, Natural/chemistry ; Lymphoma, T-Cell/pathology* ; Lymphoma, T-Cell/chemistry ; Male ; Middle Age ; Necrosis ; Peritonitis/radiography ; Peritonitis/pathology ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed