Biologic characterization of adult MYC-positive mature B-cell lymphomas other than molecular Burkitt lymphoma

MYC translocations are the biologic hallmark of Burkitt lymphomas but also occur in other mature B-cell lymphomas. If accompanied by chromosomal breaks targeting the BCL2 and/or BCL6 oncogenes, these MYC translocation-positive (MYC+) lymphomas are called double-hit lymphomas (DHLs); otherwise, the term single-hit lymphoma (SHL) is applied. In order to characterize the biologic features of these MYC+ lymphomas other than Burkitt lymphomas, we explored, after exclusion of molecular Burkitt lymphoma (mBL) as defined by gene expression profiling (GEP), the molecular, pathological and clinical aspects of 80 MYC translocation (MYC+) lymphomas (31 SHL, 26 BCL2+/MYC+, 14 BCL6+/MYC+, 6 BCL2+/BCL6+/MYC+ and 3 MYC+ lymphomas with unknown BCL6 status). Comparison of SHL and DHL revealed no difference in frequency of MYC partner (IG/non-IG), genomic complexity or MYC expression and no differences in GEP. DHL showed a more frequent GCB-like GEP and higher IGH and MYC mutation rates. GEP revealed 130 differentially expressed genes between BCL6+/MYC+ and BCL2+/MYC+ DHL. BCL2+/MYC+ DHL showed a more frequent GCB-like GEP. Analysis of all lymphomas according to MYC partner (IG/non-IG) revealed no substantial differences. In contrast to mBL and lymphomas without MYC break, SHL and DHL patients had similar poor outcome. Our data suggest that after excluding mBL, MYC+ lymphomas could be biologically widely lumped without further need for subclassification.

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Aukema SM, Kreuz M, Kohler CW, Rosolowski M, Hasenclever D, Hummel M, Küppers R, Lenze D, Ott G, Pott C, Richter J, Rosenwald A, Szczepanowski M, Schwaenen C, Stein H, Trautmann H, Wessendorf S, Trümper L, Loeffler M, Spang R, Kluin PM, Klapper W, Siebert R, Molecular Mechanisms in Malignant Lymphomas Network Project.