Utility of gene rearrangements in lymphoid malignancies.

Molecular genetic study of lymphoid neoplasms by Southern blotting or polymerase chain reaction permits the ready detection of gene rearrangements. Clonal rearrangements of immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor genes identify neoplasms of B- and T-cell lineage, respectively. Additionally, lymphoma-specific chromosome translocations involving oncogenes are detected with the same molecular techniques. Probes are currently available to study the c-myc translocations of Burkitt's lymphoma, the bcl-2 translocations of follicular lymphomas, and the bcl-1 translocations of centrocytic lymphoma.