Cytogenetic Features of Hodgkin's Disease Suggest Possible Origin

Surface marker and gene rearrangement data have supported various hypotheses about the origin of the mabignant cell in Hodgkin’s disease. Cytogenetic data about this disorder. however. are very scanty. To determine if any chromosomab abnormalities that could add further information to this controversial point are present. we studied tumor samples from 49 patients. Abnormal metaphases were obtained in 1 8 cases. The most common breakpoints were in 11q23. 14q32, 6q11-21. and 8q22-24. These are T HE LINEAGE of the malignant cell in Hodgkin’s disease is an issue surrounded by considerable controversy. That most of the cells in lymph nodes involved by this tumor are reactive lymphocytes, eosinophils, histiocytes, and plasma cells compounds the difficulties of identifying the lineage of the malignant cell. Currently available surface marker and gene rearrangement data have supported diverse origins including histiocytes, myeloid cells, B or T lymphocytes, activated lymphoid cells, and interdigitating dendritic reticulum cells.’7 Cytogenetic data could be useful in elucidating the cell lineage in this disorder. However, such data in Hodgkin’s disease are scanty, in contrast to lymphoma.8’9 We studied the karyotype of 49 samples from 40previously untreated and 9 treated patients with Hodgkin’s dis