MUTATION OF THE 5'-NONCODING REGION OF THE BCL-6 GENE IN LOW-GRADE GASTRIC LYMPHOMA OF THE MUCOSA-ASSOCIATED LYMPHOID-TISSUE

BCL-6 gene rearrangement and hypermutations were investigated in four Hong Kong Chinese patients with low-grade gastric lymphoma of the muco sa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALToma). The former was studied by Sou thern analysis and the latter by the technique of polymer ase chain re action and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. BCL-6 gene rearran gement rr as not detectable in any of the four cases. However, mutatio ns at both the E1.11 and E1.12 segments of the 5' noncoding region of the BCL-6 gene were found in two patients. This preliminary observatio n suggests that the mutations of the 5' noncoding region of the BCL-6 gene rather than gene rearrangement may be playing a more important ro le in the tumorigenesis of low-grade gastric MALToma. Further confirma tion of this finding by studying a larger number of patients will be r equired, (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 1988.