DETECTION OF T(14-18) IN BRITISH FOLLICULAR LYMPHOMA USING CYTOGENETICS, SOUTHERN BLOTTING AND THE POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

Cytogenetics, Southern blotting and PCR were used to detect t(14;18) i n 72 British patients with follicular lymphoma. The overall incidence of the translocation was 76%. Cytogenetics was the most successful tec hnique, but 10-30% of translocations detected karyotypically were miss ed by molecular methods, presumably due to break-points falling outsid e the range of probes and primers used here. Reliance on molecular det ection alone may considerably underestimate the incidence of t(14;18) and it is therefore essential to use the most comprehensive range of p robes and primers available.