PCR analysis of immunoglobulin heavy chain and TCR gene rearrangements in diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disorders on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues.

To confirm a diagnosis of malignant lymphomas it is imperative to distinguish between reactive and neoplastic proliferation. The PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is a method that can be used for detection of clonal rearrangements of the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) and T-cell receptor (TCR) genes. This study summarizes the outcomes of PCR analysis of IgH and TCR gene rearrangements in 91 bioptic cases of lymphoproliferative disorders. In the class of B lymphomas we detected clonal IgH rearrangement in nearly 83% of cases and in class of T lymphomas in 81% of cases. We can affirm that PCR analysis of B and T cell clonality on DNA extracted from the whole section of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue is very suitable for routinely elaborate this. Its influence on the diagnostics of morphological unclear cases in particular, is crucial and is useful in establishing a diagnosis of lymphoid neoplasias in specimens in which histological and immunophenotypic studies are inconclusive.