Lack of BCL10 mutations in multiple myeloma and plasma cell leukemia

To determine whether the BCL10 mutation plays a role in the oncogenesis of plasma cell dyscrasias, we used polymerase chain reaction-single-strand con formation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and direct sequencing analysis and examin ed the genomic BCL10 mutations in 57 patients with multiple myeloma or plas ma cell leukemia and 52 normal bone marrow samples. We found three polymorp hic sequence variants, either alone or in combination, at codons 5 and 8, a nd in intron I at base 58 of the BCL10 gene in 37 patients with plasma cell dyscrasia. Identical aberrant band shifts were also observed in 34 normal marrow samples. No polymorphic variants were identified in exon 2 or 3 in e ither patient or control samples, and no pathogenic mutations were detected . patients with plasma cell dyscrasias in Taiwan appeared to have a higher frequency of polymorphisms at codon 5 and intron I at base 58, and a lower frequency at codons 8 and 2 13. Our results suggest that BCL10 is not invol ved in the oncogenesis of plasma cell dyscrasias. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.