STRUCTURAL ABNORMALITIES OF THE X-CHROMOSOME IN NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA

It has recently been reported that additional X chromosomes occur in o ver 30% of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL), and that monosomy of the X chromosome occurs in 38% of female patients with T-cell leukaemi a or lymphoma. These observations have suggested a possible role for t he X chromosome in the evolution of NHL. We have now examined 280 case s of NHL, and have identified 19 examples of structurally altered X ch romosomes in the malignant cells from 17 of these cases. These abnorma lities were mainly characterized by either a translocation involving X p22, or a translocation/deletion involving Xq28. The relevance of thes e observations is discussed with respect to other published reports, a nd together they suggest that lymphoma-associated oncogenes may exist on the X chromosome at bands p22 or q28.