Expression of c-myc p62 Protein in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas

The expression of c-myc oncogene in neoplastic and non-neoplastic lymphoid tissue was studied using the specific monoclonal antibody myc 1-9E10 and the 3 step streptavidin-biotin immunoperoxidase method in paraffin sections. Twelve samples of non-neoplastic reactive lymph nodes of various etiology, 181 of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL), and five of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) were studied. The staining pattern was mainly nuclear but cytoplasmic reactions were also occasionally observed. The percentage of positive cells per total, cell population was estimated and all cases were classified into four groups: 0.-15%, 16-.30%, 31-45% and more than 45% positive cells. In the reactive lymph nodes, mainly germinal center cells were stained, but the percentage in eleven of the 12 cases was less than 15%. All cases of HCL were negative. In NHL lymphoma, only malignant cells were evaluated. Fifty-six per cent of cases of NHL had more than 15% positive cells. The percentage of positive cells was greater in high grade than in intermediate and low grade NHL (80.6x, 47.6%, and 10.6 respectively had more than 30:< positive cells). This correlation proved to be statistically significant (p < 0.001). The above findings suggest a relation between the expression of the c-myc oncogene and lymphomagenesis and indicate that (evaluation of the expression of c-myc in NHL may be helpful in determining the grade of malignancy.