Rechavi, G., Institute of Hematology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Katzir, N., Institute of Hematology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Brok-Simoni, F., Institute of Hematology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Holtzman, F., Institute of Hematology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Mandel, M., Institute of Hematology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Gurfinkel, N., Institute of Hematology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Givol, D., Institute of Hematology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Ben-Bassat, I., Institute of Hematology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Ramot, B., Institute of Hematology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel

Three cellular or putative oncogenes: c-myc, bcl1, and bcl2 were previously found to be rearranged in some B cell malignancies due to chromosomal translocations. Data concerning the role of such genetic rearrangements in B-CLL are very scanty and limited to few cases in which bcl1 rearrangements were found. We studied DNA samples from 38 cases of B-CLL by Southern blot technique in order to find out the existence and frequency of such events. No bcl1 or bcl2 rearrangements were found in any of the studied cases; thus, involvement of these genes in CLL must be rare. In one patient who had an aggressive and resistant disease, c-myc rearrangement was found.