PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - I Ramasamy
AU  - M Brisco
AU  - A Morley
TI  - Improved PCR method for detecting monoclonal immunoglobulin heavy chain rearrangement in B cell neoplasms.
AID  - 10.1136/jcp.45.9.770
DP  - 1992 Sep 01
TA  - Journal of Clinical Pathology
PG  - 770--775
VI  - 45
IP  - 9
4099  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/45/9/770.short
4100  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/45/9/770.full
SO  - J Clin Pathol1992 Sep 01; 45
AB  - AIMS: To develop a simple, optimised, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based method for detecting the rearranged immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH). METHODS: Using as primers oligonucleotides (Fr2A, Fr2B) homologous to the conserved sequences to the framework II region and the joining (JH) region, 25 patients with B cell lymphoproliferative disorders, previously characterised by Southern blotting, and three patients with light chain myeloma were studied. RESULTS: The PCR product from a polyclonal B cell population showed a broad band when analysed on a 3% agarose gel; DNA from B cell lines and B lymphoproliferative disorders showed a discrete band. Specificity of the amplification was confirmed by cloning and sequencing the amplified product as well as by Southern blotting with an internal probe homologous to the framework 3 region. Primers Fr2A and Fr2B detected monoclonality in three patients with light chain myeloma, while primers directed against the FrIII region showed a polyclonal response. CONCLUSIONS: Deletions and extensive somatic mutations within the FrIII region may give false negative results with primers homologous to the region. A PCR using the method described, with a repertoire of primers homologous to the FrII and FrIII regions, will therefore increase the frequency of detection of monoclonality.