Molecular insights into the immunopathogenesis of follicular lymphoma

K Stamatopoulos1, C Kosmas, C Belessi

  • 1First Department of Medicine, Athens University School of Medicine and Laikon General Hospital, Athens, Greece.

Immunology Today
|May 29, 2000
PubMed

Follicular lymphoma is caused by the transformation of a germinal-center-derived B cell with a t(14;18) chromosomal translocation. The distribution of somatic mutations within immunoglobulin genes indicates that follicular-lymphoma cells can interact with antigen. In addition, nonimmunoglobulin genes such as BCL6 seem to undergo somatic hypermutation. Here, Kostas Stamatopoulos and colleagues relate the molecular data about immunoglobulin genes and the protooncogenes BCL2 and BCL6 to the pathogenesis and evolution of follicular lymphoma.

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