DETECTION OF BCL TRANSLOCATIONS IN NON-HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA AND ITS CORRELATION TO NATURAL BEHAVIOUR OF THE DISEASE AS WELL AS TREATMENT RESPONSE

Abstract

Long term cure is now possible for about 50% of all patients with

aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Apoptotic-related proteins play an important role in the chemosensitivity and chemoresistance of tumors. Bcl-x is widely expressed in. wide range of NHL and its long isoform can block cell death machinery and it was concluded that it is involved in some pathway of lymphomagenesis. The aim of our work was to examine the role of Bcl-xL in •• aggressive lymphomas and correlate its expression to natural history of

the disease and treatment outcome.

Thirty patients with histologically diagnosed NHL of intermediate- and high-grade were included. Prognostic factors based on the international prognostic index were uniformly evaluated in all patients. All these patients were treated by 6 to 8 cycles of standard CHOP. Blood samples were taken from all patients for identification of Bcl-xL and Bel- xS by RT-PCR before and at the end of chemotherapy. Median follow up of the studied group was 1 year. Of the thirty patients included Bcl-xL was expressed in 23

(76.67%) While Bcl-xS was absent in all patients. Expression of Bcl-xL was 100% in patients with 2:3 poor prognostic factors compared to 58.8% (10/17) in patients with< 3 poor prognostic factors (p< 0.05).