Functional class switch recombination may occur 'in vivo' in Waldenström macroglobulinaemia

Br J Haematol. 2007 Jan;136(1):114-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2006.06397.x. Epub 2006 Nov 13.

Abstract

Waldenström macroglobulinaemia (WM) malignant cells have been considered incapable of undergoing class switch recombination (CSR). However, we report a WM patient who developed an IgG M-component 4 years after diagnosis. When the second monoclonal component appeared, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed the presence of pre (Cmu) and postswitch (Cgamma) clonotypic isotypes; sequencing of these isotypes demonstrated that both corresponded to the single clone amplified at diagnosis, including the same complementarity-determining region 3 and somatic mutation pattern. This proves that WM cells can undergo a functional in vivo CSR.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Complementarity Determining Regions
  • Female
  • Gene Rearrangement*
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin Class Switching*
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Immunoglobulin Switch Region
  • Immunoglobulin mu-Chains
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Middle Aged
  • Recombination, Genetic*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / genetics*
  • Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / immunology*

Substances

  • Complementarity Determining Regions
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Immunoglobulin mu-Chains