Mono and oligoclonality of T cell receptor β gene in angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma cases
Abstract
Angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma (AILT) is an aggressive T cell lymphoma with an incidence of approximately 1-2% of all Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The detection of clonal T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangements helps in the diagnosis of T cell malignancies such as AILT, where morphological and immunohistological investigations are not always sufficient to reach a definitive diagnosis. We have analysed TCR beta (TCRB) and TCR gamma (TCRG) gene rearrangements from 17 WHO-defined cases of AILT by PCR for the presence of TCR clonality and further sequenced TCRB gene rearrangements to identify molecular signature(s) common amongst this patient group. Monoclonal and oligoclonal TCRB and TCRG gene rearrangements were detected in all cases. BV17S1 was slightly over-represented compared to the use of other Vβ gene segments; however, no preferential usage of J gene segment(s) was detected. The results of this study emphasize that TCR clonality and oligoclonality is a diagnostic feature of AILT and that BV17S1 is over-represented with no other common molecular findings.
