Use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect monoclonality of B cell lymphoproliferative disorders

A technique has been developed using PCR to detect monoclonality of B-lymphoproliferative disorders. DNA was extracted from the blood, tissue and paraffin embedded sections by biochemical means or boiling. Forty cases of B-non Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), 15 cases of T-NHL, 8 cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 17 cases of reactive lymphadenopathy and 12 cases of various non-lymphocytic tumor were examined. Monoclonality of B-lymphocytes was detected in 86-92% of cases with B-lymphoproliferative diseases, but none in T-NHL, reactive disorders and non-lymphatic tumors. This technique provides a new molecular biologic method to diagnose malignant B-lymphoproliferative dicorders. It may be useful in Ig gene rearrangement study, differential diagnosis and retrospective investigation of lymphoproliferative disorders.