B-cell pulmonary lymphoma - Gene rearrangement analysis of bronchoalveolarlymphocytes by polymerase chain reaction

Study objectives: Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) are clonal proliferation o f B or T lymphocytes. Assessment of clonality in lymphoid proliferations us es immunochemistry and, recently, molecular biology. The aim of our study i s to assess the role of immunoglobulin gene rearrangement analysis on bronc hoalveolar lymphocytes to aid in the diagnosis of B-cell pulmonary NHL. Patients and methods: The study took place in a university hospital, There were seven consecutive patients with B-cell-type pulmonary lymphoma and nin e control subjects. Gene rearrangement analysis using polymerase chain reac tion (PCR) technique was performed on alveolar lymphocytes recovered by BAL . Results: Analysis of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement show ed a predominant clonal alveolar lymphocyte population in six: of seven pat ients while all control subjects showed germline pattern. Conclusions: Gene rearrangement analysis by PCR of alveolar lymphocytes wou ld appear to be sensitive in patients with B-cell pulmonary NHL (six of sev en patients) and specific (zero of nine in the control group). This simple test should be added only in the analysis of cells recovered by BAL in pati ents with suspected primary and secondary B-cell pulmonary NHL.