Rechavi, G., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Mandel, M., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Katzir, N., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Brok-Simoni, F., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Hakim, I., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Holtzman, F., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Biniaminov, M., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Givol, D., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Ben-Bassat, I., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Ramot, B., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Mandel, M., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Katzir, N., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Brok-Simoni, F., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Hakim, I., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Holtzman, F., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Biniaminov, M., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Givol, D., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Ben-Bassat, I., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
Ramot, B., Institute of Hematology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer 52 621, Israel
A search for a correlation between the clinical stage of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and the pattern of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangements was undertaken. DNA samples from the leukaemic cells of 38 CLL patients were analysed by Southern blot hybridization. Using probes for the immunoglobulin heavy chain J (JH) and Cμ regions a marked heterogeneity of the hybridization patterns was observed in both regions. The number of JH hybridization bands varied from one to four and more than two were found in 58% of the patients. In 42% of the patients no germline JH genes were found. One to three additional Cμ bands were observed in 34%, but the germline was preserved in all samples. There was no correlation between the clinical stage and the number of hybridizing JH bands; however, a significant correlation was found between the loss of JH germline band or a Cμ multiband pattern and advanced stage of the disease. The genetic events in the immunoglobulin genes observed in advanced CLL patients are assumed to result from clonal evolution and tumour progression.
