ANALYSIS OF CLONALITY OF LYMPHOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA BY T-CELL RECEPTOR GENE REARRANGEMENT

Objective To analyse the relationship between the number of T-cell rec eptor (TCR) gamma gene rearrangement and clonality of malignant cells in lymphocytic leukemia and lymphoma. Methods The TCR gamma gene chara cteristics of 73 cases of lymphocytic leukemia and lymphoma and other diseases that had presented 1 or 2 prominent bands of amplified TCR ga mma VI subgroups-J1/2 gene rearrangement (GR) were detected by polymer ase chain reaction-restriction enzymes (PCR-RE), heteroduplex formatio n (HDF), DNA sequencing and single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP). Results Thirty-four percent patients had 2 of TCR gamma GR (bi allelic rearrangement); twenty-six percent had 1 of TCR gamma GR; fift y-four percent of acute lymphocytic leukemia's and nineteen percent of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) had 2 of TCR gamma GR. HDF could rapidl y confirm more than 1 of alleles while more alleles were difficult to be recognized by restriction analysis. Sense and antisense strands of heteroduplex were composed of 2 of TCR gamma GR respectively. By combi ning HDF method, oligoclonalities in three patients (2 acute lympholyt ic leukemia and 1 myelodysplastil syndrome and clone evolution in one NHL were found. Conclusions The fact that many patients had 2 of TCR G R means that complication of two neoplastic clones can be affirmed onl y if more than 2 of TCR GR are found. HDF can be used to detect the cl onality, oligoclonality and polyclonality of lymphoid cells in lymphoc ytic leukemia and lymphoma by analysis of the difference of gene segme nts. HDF is a reliable method for the clone evolution research of lymp hoid malignancies in progression.