A case of a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of plasmablastic type associated with the t(2;5)(p23;q35) chromosome translocation

Am J Surg Pathol. 2003 Nov;27(11):1473-6. doi: 10.1097/00000478-200311000-00012.

Abstract

Anaplastic large cell lymphomas are associated with the t(2;5)(p23;q35) chromosome translocation in 40% to 60% of cases, leading to a new chimeric gene NPM-ALK. NPM-ALK positive lymphomas are generally reported to be of either T cell or null phenotype. In this report, we describe a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma associated with the classic t(2;5) translocation and both nuclear and cytoplasmic expression of ALK. The tumor consisted of medium-sized to large immunoblasts and plasmablasts that on immunohistology were negative for CD30, CD20, and CD79a but showed monotypic cytoplasmic expression of lambda light chains. Clonality analysis confirmed B-cell lineage of the tumor cells. The t(2;5)(p23;q35) chromosome translocation was demonstrated as part of a complex karyotypic alteration by classic banding and spectral karyotyping (SKY) analyses. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed rearrangement of NPM and ALK genes. This case exemplifies that the t(2;5) can, albeit rarely, occur in large B-cell lymphomas and is not entirely limited to anaplastic large cell lymphomas of T or null cell phenotypes.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2*
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5*
  • DNA, Neoplasm / analysis
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / genetics*
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / metabolism
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / pathology
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / genetics*
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / metabolism
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / pathology
  • Male
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Spectral Karyotyping
  • Translocation, Genetic*

Substances

  • DNA, Neoplasm
  • p80(NPM-ALK) protein
  • ALK protein, human
  • Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases