A study of Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg cells using single cell polymerase chainreaction

Objective To investigate the characteristics of Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg (H/R -S) cells found in patients with various types of Hodgkin' s disease (HD). Methods H/R-S cells were micropicked from frozen sections of tissues affect ed by HD. The DNA from these cells was amplified by polymerase chain reacti on (PCR) using immunoglobulin heavy chain gene FR III a/JH primers and ligh t chain gene family-specific primers. Results A total of 52/135 (35.8%) isolated cells showed the specific produc ts in the reactions. IgH and V-kappa 4, rearrangements were repeatedly foun d in many cells from a lymphocyte predominance type sample; repeated V-kapp a 4 and individual IgH/(kappa 2,4) rearrangements and individual IgH, V-lam bda 3/ V-kappa 4 rearrangements were found in two different cases of the no dular sclerosis type; repeated IgH/ V-lambda 3 and individual V-lambda 2,V- 4 rearrangements, repeated V-kappa 2,V-4 rearrangements, repeated V-kappa 4 and individual IgH/ V-kappa 3 rearrangements, repeated IgH and individual V-kappa 3/ V-lambda 4 rearrangements were detected in 3 cases of the mixed cellularity type. Repeated and individual IgH rearrangements were found in other 2 cases. Conclusion The H/R-S cells isolated from the lymphocyte predominance subtyp es of HD have IgH and V-lambda 4 gene rearrangements. This suggests that th e lymphocyte predominance type is a proliferation of neoplastic B cells. Th e cells isolated from the mixed cellularity and nodular sclerosis types der ive from B lineage cells at various stages of differentiation because of th e presence of their IgH, kappa and/or lambda gene rearrangements. To our kn owledge, this is the first time that the lambda gene rearrangement was dete cted in H/R-S cells.