Chromosomal characteristics of malignant lymphoma

Results of a cytogenetic and morphological study of 60 malignant lymphomas (ML) are presented. The most often observed chromosome abnormalities were rearrangements involving 14q32, 11q13, 11q21-23, 6q15, 6q21, 12p11-12, 17p11-12, and extra chromosomes 18, 3, 21 and 7. Translocations involving 14q32, leading to the appearance of marker 14q+, were noted in 41% of the tumors. Strict correlations between karyotype and morphology of ML were not seen. However, rearrangements of 11q were mostly found in low-grade tumors and markers 6q- in high-grade tumors. The absence of t(14;18), which is regarded to be the most common abnormality in ML, and an unusually high incidence of t(11;14) in our series confirm the uneven geographical distribution of ML with these translocations. Chromosome abnormalities in ML and acute lymphoblastic leukemia are compared.