Somatic mutation of bcl-6 genes can occur in the absence of VH mutations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract

AbstractSomatic mutation in immunoglobulin variable (V) region genes occurs largely in the germinal center and, after neoplastic transformation, imprints V genes of B-cell tumors with the mutational history of the cell of origin. Recently, it has been found that chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) consists of 2 subsets, each with a different clinical course, one with unmutated VH genes consistent with a naive B cell, and the other with mutated VH genes consistent with transit through the germinal center. However, somatic mutation also occurs at another distinct locus, the 5′ noncoding region of thebcl-6 gene, in both B-cell tumors and in normal germinal center B cells. To probe the suggestive link between the occurrence of mutations in VH and bcl-6 genes, we analyzed the nature of somatic mutation at these distinct loci in the 2 CLL subsets. Unexpectedly, we found no such link in the CLLs defined by unmutated VH genes, with 4 of 10 cases clearly showing mutations inbcl-6. In those CLLs defined by somatically mutated VH genes, 4 of 9 cases predictively showed bcl-6mutations. The frequency of bcl-6 mutations was comparable in both subsets, with mutations being biallelic, and in 3 of 8 cases indicative of clonal origins. Surprisingly, intraclonal variation, which is not a feature of VH genes in CLL, was found in 6 of 8 cases in both subsets. These data indicate that somatic mutation of the VH and bcl-6 loci may not necessarily occur in tandem in CLL, suggesting diverse pathways operating on the 2 genes.