ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Expression of the polycomb-group gene BMI1 is related to an unfavourable prognosis in primary nodal DLBCL

Joost C van Galen^1,*, Jettie J F Muris^1,*, Joost J Oudejans¹, Wim Vos¹, Cindy P E Giroth¹, Gert J Ossenkoppele², Arie P Otte³, Frank M Raaphorst^1,4, Chris J L M Meijer¹

¹ Departments of Pathology, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
² Departments of Haematology, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
³ Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
⁴ Crucell Holland BV,Leiden, The Netherlands

Correspondence to:
Dr J J Oudejans
Department of Clinical Pathology, VU Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands; jj.oudejans{at}vumc.nl

Background: : Clinical outcome in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCL) is highly variable and poorly predictable. Microarray studies showed that patients with DLBCL with a germinal centre B cell-like (GCB) phenotype have a better prognosis than those with an activated B cell-like (ABC) phenotype. The BMI1 proto-oncogene was identified as one of the genes present in the signature of the ABC type of DLBCL, associated with a poor prognosis.

Objectives: : (1) To investigate, in primary nodal DLBCL, the expression of BMI1 and its association with clinical outcome and DLBCL signature; (2) to look for an association between BMI1 expression and the expression of its putative downstream targets p14ARF and p16INK4a.

Results: : BMI1 expression was found to be associated with poor clinical outcome, but not clearly with an ABC-like phenotype of DLBCL. Expression of BMI1 was frequently, but not always, related to low levels of expression of p14ARF and p16INK4a.

Conclusion: : Expression of BMI1 is associated with an unfavourable clinical outcome of primary nodal DLBCL.

Abbreviations: ABC, activated B cell; DLBCL, diffuse large B cell lymphomas; GCB, germinal centre B cells

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