SENSITIVE DETECTION OF CLONAL ANTIGEN RECEPTOR GENE REARRANGEMENTS INNON-HODGKINS MALIGNANT-LYMPHOMA WITH AN ANCHORED POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION-BASED STRATEGY

The identification of minimal residual disease (MRD) in non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma is of immediate clinical relevance. Although severa l polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based strategies are currently avail able, they all share serious technical or theoretic limitations with r espect to their ability to detect the broad spectrum of mature B-cell neoplasia. We report a new strategy based on anchored PCR that does no t rely on a particular chromosomal translocation or V-H consensus sequ ence. It can yield the complete DNA sequence of the immunoglobulin hea vy chain variable region (V(H)DJ(H)). The assay is capable of detectin g one neoplastic cell among 10(3)-10(4) normal cells with high specifi city and has the potential to greatly expand the variety of B-cell mal ignant neoplasms that can be studied.