[Determination of clonality in lymphoproliferative diseases using polymerase chain reaction]

The diagnosis of lymph node lesions frequently requires the employment of additional studies. Lineage and clonality can be regarded as the most crucial diagnostic parameters. In some cases the diagnosis remains ambiguous even after immunohistochemistry and molecular biologic techniques have to be applied. These molecular biologic techniques are based on specific rearrangements of the immune genes that occur during T- and B-cell development. Whereas Southern blotting has become a standardized and reliable means for the detection of lineage and clonality, the limited availability of fresh frozen material frequently restricts its clinical applicability. The polymerase chain reaction has facilitated the investigation of immune gene rearrangements in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue samples. This communication reviews the recent developments in this field.