ABSTRACT
AIM: To investigate the mutations of the 5' noncoding region of BCL-6 gene in Chinese patients with primary gastric lymphomas. METHODS: PCR and direct DNA sequencing were used to identify BCL-6 gene mutations in the 5' noncoding region in 29 cases of gastric diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and 18 cases of gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma as well as 10 cases of reactive hyperplasia of lymph node (LRH). RESULTS: Six of 29 gastric DLBCLs (20.7%), 4 of 18 gastric MALT lymphomas (22.2%) and 1 of 10 LRHs(10%) were found to have mutations. All mutations were single-base substitutions and the frequency of single-base changes was 0.20 x 10(-2) -1.02 x 10(-2) per bp. CONCLUSION: Point mutations in the 5' noncoding region of BCL-6 gene are found in Chinese patients with primary gastric DLBCLs and MALT lymphomas, suggesting that they may, in some extent, participate in the pathogenesis of primary gastric DLBCLs and MALT lymphomas.