CYTOGENETIC ABNORMALITIES IN B-IMMUNOBLASTIC LYMPHOMA

We have considered the cytogenetic abnormalities present in 27 unpubli shed cases of B-immunoblastic lymphoma. Among these 27 patients, the c hromosome changes were heterogeneous and complex. The chromosomes most commonly gained were 3 (44% of cases), 18 (44%), 6 (30%) and 11 (30%) . The most common structural abnormalities involved band 14q32 (26%), band 18q21 (15%) and bands 6q16-21 (19%). Study of these 27 immunoblas tic lymphomas did not allow us to tentatively identify a common primar y cytogenetic abnormality unique to B-immunoblastic lymphoma, however, a translocation at 14q32 may be the primary cytogenetic lesion in som e of the cases. Rather, we have added to the number of abnormalities r eported in immunoblastic lymphoma and in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in gen eral.