A B-cell lymphoma-associated chromosomal translocation in a progressive transformation of germinal center

Dorothée Bouron-Dal Soglio1, Françoise Truong, Raouf Fetni

  • 1Department of Pathology, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Sainte-Justine, 3175 chemin de la Côte Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3T 1C5. dorothee.dal_soglio.hsj@ssss.gouv.qc.ca

Human Pathology
|January 22, 2008
PubMed

Progressive transformation of germinal center (PTGC) is a pattern of lymph node reactive hyperplasia. It can also be the predominant pattern in a hyperplastic lymph node known as florid PTGC. It is characterized histologically by the expansion of the mantle zone lymphocytes into both the adjacent sinusoids and germinal centers. The lymphocytes destroying the germinal centers are predominantly B cells, with a minor population of T cells. Morphologically, it can be confused with nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin disease (NLPHD) because of its nodular pattern and because of the presence of large cells that can be incorrectly identified as lymphocytic and histiocytic cells. A relationship between PTGC and NLPHD remains unclear, and many authors have suggested that PTGC can represent a precursor lesion of NLPHD. Here we report the first karyotype obtained in PTGC, in a 12-year-old boy. It shows a t(3;22)(q27;q11) translocation, probably involving the BCL6 gene. This translocation has previously been described in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas and in NLPHD with BCL6 rearrangement. This finding offers an insight into a possible tumorigenic pathway from PTGC to NLPHD. Further studies will be required to confirm this hypothesis.

Related Concept Videos

Tumor Progression02:07

Tumor Progression

Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response01:23

Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response

The T and B lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system develop from common lymphoid progenitor cells in the bone marrow. These progenitors give rise to precursors that eventually develop into both T and B lymphocytes. As these precursors mature, they gain the ability to detect and respond to foreign antigens in the body, a process known as immunocompetence. Additionally, these precursors acquire self-tolerance, a process that ensures they do not react to self-antigens. This intricate system...
B Cell Activation and Differentiation01:24

B Cell Activation and Differentiation

The adaptive immune response, a sophisticated defense mechanism, relies on the activation and differentiation of B lymphocytes, or B cells. These processes enable our bodies to mount a tailored response against specific pathogens such as bacteria, free virus particles, toxins, and parasites.
When naive B cells encounter a specific antigen that can bind to the B cell receptor (BCR) on their surface, they undergo sensitization to respond to the antigen's presence. Sensitization begins with...
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the daughter...
Diversity of Antigen Receptors01:28

Diversity of Antigen Receptors

Antigen receptors are essential components of the immune system crucial in defending the body against foreign invaders. These receptors are present on the surface of B and T cells, enabling them to recognize antigens and mount an appropriate immune response.
Before encountering any antigen, lymphocytes express these receptors. On B cells, the antigen receptor is a membrane-bound antibody molecule called BCR; on T cells, it is a T cell receptor or TCR. B and T cell receptors are composed of two...
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell02:21

Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell

Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...