A UNIQUE EBV-NEGATIVE LOW-GRADE LYMPHOMA LINE (WSU-FSCCL) EXHIBITING BOTH T(14 18) AND T(8 11)

A new human B-cell line, WSU-FSCCL, was established from the periphera l blood of a patient with low-grade follicular small cleaved cell lymp homa in leukemic phase. Both the fresh lymphoma cells and the establis hed cell line exhibit t(14;18)(q32;q21) and t(8;11)(q24;q21) chromosom al translocations, 6q -, 1p +, and + i(1q). PCR analysis confirmed the juxtaposition of the major breakpoint-cluster region of bcl-2 with im munoglobulin heavy chain (J(H)) gene rearrangements. Southern analysis demonstrated that the 8q24 breakpoint was 5' of c-myc exon 1. The new line grows as a single-cell suspension with a doubling time of approx imately 26 hours. It expresses cytoplasmic and cell surface IgM-kappa and reacts with monoclonal antibodies to B-cell antigens. Cells are ne gative for T-cell and myeloid/monocyte antigens as well as for Epstein -Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA). DNA histogram generated by flow cy tometry indicated a near diploid stemline. While t(14;18) is common in follicular lymphomas, the t(8;11) is unusual in lymphomas, although i t does involve a region frequently aberrant on chromosome 8. The rearr angement of c-myc may have conferred an aggressive clinical behavior s een in the terminal phase of the disease. The role of 11q21 remains un determined.