FISH: BCL6 (3q27) GENE REARRANGEMENT

BCL6 GENE REARRANGEMENT IS THE MOST FREQUENT CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITY IN DIFFUSE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA (DLBCL). REARRANGEMENT OF BCL6 PROTO-ONCOGENE AT CHROMOSOME BAND 3Q27 IS SEEN IN NEARLY 35% CASES OF DLBCL. PRESENCE OF A BCL6 GENE FUSION CAN BE USEFUL IN DIAGNOSING AND SUB-CLASSIFYING B-NON HODGKIN LYMPHOMAS. IT CAN ALSO INDICATE PROGNOSIS IN B-CELL LYMPHOMA WITH FEATURES INTERMEDIATE BETWEEN DLBCL AND BURKITT LYMPHOMA, IN ASSOCIATION WITH BCL2 & MYC GENE FUSIONS. THIS CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITY HAS ALSO BEEN DETECTED IN 6-15% CASES OF FOLLICULAR CENTRE LYMPHOMAS.