DETECTION OF NPM-ALK DNA REARRANGEMENT IN CD30 POSITIVE ANAPLASTIC LARGE-CELL LYMPHOMA

CD30 positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a type of non-H odgkin's lymphoma associated with a specific chromosome translocation between chromosomes 2 and 5. Recent molecular characterization of the translocation breakpoint has identified a gene fusion between NPM (nuc leophosmin) and ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase). Using a DNA hybridiz ation technique, the NPM rearrangement was found among 5/5 ALCL sample s, We have developed a PCT methodology which has enabled the detection of the NPM-ALK rearrangements amongst seven t(2;5)(p23;q35) ALCL case s based on a long-range PCR of genomic DNA. The rapidity and robustnes s of this method may have diagnostic applications for ALCL.