Genome-wide array-based comparative genomic hybridization of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: Comparison between CD5-positive and CD5-negative cases

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and exhibits aggressive and heterogeneous clinical behavior. To genetically characterize DLBCL, we established our own array-based comparative genomic hybridization and analyzed a total of 70 cases [26 CD-positive (CD5(+)) DLBCL and 44 CD5-negative (CD5(-)) DLBCL cases]. Regions of genomic aberrations observed in >20% of cases of both the CD5(+) and CD5(-) groups were gains of 1q21-q31, 1q32, 3p25-q29, 5p13, 6p21-p25, 7p22-q31, 8q24, 11q23-q24, 12q13-q21, 16p13, 18, and X and losses of 1p36, 3p14, 6q14-q25, 6q27, 9p21, and 17p11-p13. Because CD5 expression marks a subgroup with poor prognosis, we subsequently analyzed genomic gains and losses of CD5(+) DLBCL compared with those of CD5-. Although both groups showed similar genomic patterns of gains and losses, gains of 10p14-p15 and 19q13 and losses of 1q43-q44 and 8p23 were found to be characteristic of CD5(+) DLBCL. By focusing on the gain of 13q21-q34 and loss of 1p34-p36, we were also able to identify prognostically distinct subgroups among CD5(+) DLBCL cases. These results suggest that array-based comparative genomic hybridization analysis provides a platform of genomic aberrations of DLBCL both common and specific to clinically distinct subgroups.