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Burkitt's Lymphoma

Prospective analysis of minimal bone marrow infiltration in pediatric Burkitt's lymphomas by long-distance polymerase chain reaction for t(8;14)(q24;q32)

Leukemia volume 17, pages 585–589 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

The chromosomal translocation t(8;14)(q24;q32) represents a characteristic marker for Burkitt's lymphoma (BL). This translocation involves the MYC oncogene on chromosome 8 and the immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IgH) locus on chromosome 14. Since the translocation does not produce a fusion gene, we established a long-distance polymerase chain reaction (LD-PCR) assay that can detect the t(8;14) at the genomic level. The sensitivity of the LD-PCR was 10−4. We used the LD-PCR assay to prospectively study 78 BL patients and found a specific PCR product in 52 of them. Among the 52 positive patients, we could test both the tumor and the bone marrow (BM) at diagnosis in 33 and determined the prevalence of minimal disseminated disease (MDD) at diagnosis. In 12/33 patients, BM was positive by LD-PCR and in 10 of them we conducted a study of minimal residual disease (MRD). Eight out of 10 children showed a clearance of MRD after one cycle of chemotherapy. The only two patients who did not achieve a negative MRD status died of disease progression. The comparative analysis of sensitivity of BM aspirate, BM biopsy and LD-PCR in t(8;14)-positive patients demonstrated a superiority of the molecular method in the assessment of MDD. The LD-PCR for t(8;14) is an important tool to study minimal BM infiltration at diagnosis and to determine its response kinetics in BL.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant from ‘Fondazione Città della Speranza’, by MIUR-CNR and by AIL (Associazione Italiana contro le Leucemie). A Lombardi was partially supported by Progetto Ministero della Solute 2001/01/X/000177. We are grateful to Dr S Volpato for statistical analysis and to all the clinicians and pathologists of AIEOP who contributed patients and samples to the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinica di Oncoematologia Pediatrica, Azienda Ospedaliera-Università di Padova, Padova, Italy

    L Mussolin, K Basso, M Pillon, L Zanesco & A Rosolen

  2. Divisione di Anatomia Patologica, Ospedale S. Bortolo, Vicenza, Italy

    E S d'Amore

  3. Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Roma, Italy

    A Lombardi

  4. OIRM S. Anna, Torino, Italy

    L Luzzatto

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  1. L Mussolin
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Mussolin, L., Basso, K., Pillon, M. et al. Prospective analysis of minimal bone marrow infiltration in pediatric Burkitt's lymphomas by long-distance polymerase chain reaction for t(8;14)(q24;q32). Leukemia 17, 585–589 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2402828

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