Journal of Hepatology
Volume 49, Issue 2 , Pages 170-174, August 2008

Association of t(14;18) translocation with HCV infection in gastrointestinal MALT lymphomas☆

  • Massimo Libra

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Catania, Via Androne, 83-95124 Catania, Italy
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +39 095 313429; fax: +39 095 315257.
    • ,
  • Annunziata Gloghini

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Fondazione IRCCS Milano, Italy
    • ,
  • Grazia Malaponte

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Catania, Via Androne, 83-95124 Catania, Italy
    • ,
  • Pietro Gangemi

      Affiliations

    • Division of Pathology, Vittorio Emanuele II Hospital, Catania, Italy
    • ,
  • Valli De Re

      Affiliations

    • Division of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
    • ,
  • Bruno Cacopardo

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Catania, Italy
    • ,
  • Demetrios A. Spandidos

      Affiliations

    • Department of Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
    • ,
  • Ferdinando Nicoletti

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Catania, Via Androne, 83-95124 Catania, Italy
    • ,
  • Franca Stivala

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Catania, Via Androne, 83-95124 Catania, Italy
    • ,
  • Anna Linda Zignego

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine, University of Florence, Italy
    • ,
  • Antonino Carbone

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Fondazione IRCCS Milano, Italy

Received 28 February 2008; received in revised form 26 March 2008; accepted 26 March 2008. published online 16 May 2008.

Associate Editor: V. Barnaba

Background/Aims

The gastrointestinal tract is the most common site of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma development. Among the several genetic abnormalities involved in MALT development, the impact of t(14;18)-(IgH;Bcl-2) translocation has only been marginally analyzed. To this end, a consecutive series of gastrointestinal MALT lymphomas were analyzed.

Methods

t(14;18)-(IgH;Bcl-2) translocation, at the major break point region (MBR) and minor cluster region (mcr), were assessed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in tumour DNA obtained from 40 consecutive gastrointestinal MALT lymphoma patients. Five out of the 40 patients studied were positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Results

Two out of 40 cases analyzed turned out to carry this chromosome aberration. Interestingly, both lymphomas bearing t(14;18) translocation derived from patients with chronic HCV infection. Nucleotide sequence analysis confirmed that Bcl-2 was joined to JH6 in both MALT lymphomas. Moreover, the heavy chain gene combinations detected in both MALT lymphomas were those usually found in the HCV-associated lymphomas.

Conclusions

Our data support the notion that among gastrointestinal MALT lymphomas, t(14;18)-(IgH;Bcl-2) translocation clusters in HCV-positive patients sustaining the role of HCV infection in the lymphoma development.

Abbreviations: HCV, hepatitis C virus, MC, type II mixed cryoglobulinemia, MBR, major break point region, mcr, minor cluster region, PCR, polymerase chain reaction, WHO, world health organization

Keywords: MALT lymphoma, t(14;18)-(IgH;Bcl-2), Hepatitis C virus, HCV

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☆ The authors declare that they do not have anything to disclose regarding funding from industries or conflict of interest with respect to this manuscript.

PII: S0168-8278(08)00232-8

doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2008.03.031

Journal of Hepatology
Volume 49, Issue 2 , Pages 170-174, August 2008

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