Characterization of genetic changes in MCL by interphase FISH on tissue sections.

Mantle cell lymphoma is a clinically heterogeneous disease, where further elucidation of pathogenetic mechanisms and better prognostic information is required. We evaluated genetic aberrations by interphase FISH on tissue sections or cytological material in 38 samples from 30 MCL patients, including 5 cases with cyclin D1 3'UTR low, which previously has been associated to unfavourable prognosis. The findings have been related to proliferation and clinical outcome. All but one of MCL showed t(11:14) translocation and in 22/30 samples taken at diagnosis or first relapse, one or several cytogenetic changes were detected; 11 deletions of ATM, 13 p53 deletions, 8 numerical c-myc-aberrations and 6 delp16. All but one MCL with low cyclin D1 3'UTR had additional cytogenetic changes, however no particular genetic change was strictly associated with this MCL variant. One fourth of MCL had none of the investigated additional aberrations and these tumours were in general less proliferative and some of these patients had a very long survival.