THE ROLE OF MOLECULAR ANALYSES OF B-CELL AND T-CELL CLONALITY IN THE STUDY OF B-CELL LYMPHOMAGENESIS

While the simple detection of B-cell clonality does not imply B-cell m alignancy, comprehensive analyses of B-cell clonality are crucial to i nvestigate the pathobiology of B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. O ur recent studies inpatients with Sjogren's syndrome have highlighted how multiple molecular analyses of B-cell clonality (Southern blot, po lymerase chain reaction, single strand conformation polymorphism, and DNA sequence analysis) in pre-lymphomatous lesions may be of great val ue in helping to define the stages of progression towards low-grade ma lignancy. The study of T-cell expansion may also be important in inves tigations of the pathobiology of the different stages of B-cell lympho proliferation (fully benign, pseudolymphomatous, or definitely maligna nt), which may still be T-cell- and antigen/autoantigen-dependent.