Hafeezud Din, Tahir Jameel, Nadira Mamoon, Sajid Mushtaq, Shahid Jame, Masood Anwar.
Cytogenetic abnormalities in non-Hodgkin`s lymphoma.
Pak J Pathol Jan ;15(3):108-12.

A prospective study was planned to find out various chromosomal abnormalities in newly diagnosed cases of non-Hodgkin`s lymphoma (NHL). The study was carried out at Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi for one year duration. Histologically confirmed 35 cases of NHL were included in the study. Seventeen were diffuse large cell type (DLCL), 7 lymphoblastic, 6 small cleaved cell type, 2 each of immunoblastic and follicular lymphoma and one case of anaplastic large cell lymphoma. The material for cytogenetic studies was obtained by fine needle aspiration (FNA) of lymph node and was added in 5-ml culture tube (RPMI-1640). Growth in metaphase was arrested by adding colchicine. The chromosomal banding was done by treating slides with diluted trypsin solution and staining with Giemsa stain. At least 20 metaphases were examined from each culture to study chromosomal aberrations. Out of 35 FNA cultures, 32 yielded satisfactory metaphases wereas 3 failed. Clonol abnormalities were detected in 26 (81%) patients. Hyperploidy involving chromosomes 1,3,7,9,11,16,18, 19 and 22 was observed in which gain of chromosome 1,3,8,9,16 and 18 were seen in only diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLCL). Structures abnormalities like deletion of long arm of chromosome 6 was observed in 13 (40.6%) patients. Three patients showed t(3; 22), 2 exhibited t(11,14) and one had t(2; 5). Robertsonian translocation was observed in 5 (15.5%) patients. The frequency of cytogenetic abnormalities is high in non-Hodgkin`s lymphoma. The pattern of aberration is more complex as compared to leukaemias. Del 6q(21-24) is the most common aberration seen in this study. Cytogenetic studies can be successfully performed on material obtained by FNA.

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