Translocation (2;14) associated with complex rearrangements of the Ig heavy chain in non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Cytogenetic analysis of a patient with non-Hodgkin lymphoma revealed the fo llowing karyotype: 49,XXX,t(2;14)(q21;q32),+4, +8,del(13)(q14q21), Southern blot analysis with an Ig region probe showed non-productive rearrangements indicative of a translocation involving the Ig locus. However, molecular c loning of the abnormal rearrangements did not show novel sequences derived from chromosome 2 but showed that the BCL-6 gene was juxtaposed to the IgH enhancer. Three further clones with abnormal rearrangements involving the I g locus, particularly Ig gamma3, were isolated. This suggests that the matu re lymphoid cells, in this patient, were capable of undergoing indiscrimina te switch cleavage and religation. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All right s reserved.