Background: Primary cutaneous follicle centre cell lymphomas (PCFCCL) are the most common type of primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas. Patients with this disorder develop one or a few clinically indolent tumour nodules, plaques, or papules confined to a circumscribed area. Only limited data have so far been published on the use of immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (VH) families by these tumours.
Objectives: Because the definition of the repertoire of VH genes could have significant biological and diagnostic implications, we evaluated a group of patients with PCFCCL for VH family use.
Methods: DNA obtained from 15 cases of PCFCCL was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a panel of VH family-specific amplimers.
Results: The pattern of VH family usage was similar to that reported in both normal peripheral blood B cells and the most common low grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, where VH region utilization is essentially random with frequent usage of the VH3 family.
Conclusions: These findings support the hypothesis that PCFCCL may derive from the mature peripheral lymphoid compartment. Our results may also have implications for the routine analysis of B-lymphoid clonality in PCFCCL.