Abstract
Abstract 
262
Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is an indolent neoplasm of small mature B-lymphoid cells, which are found in peripheral blood and bone marrow (BM), and are characterized by hairy projections of their abundant cytoplasm. In clinical practice, HCL needs to be differentiated from similar indolent lymphoid neoplasms. In a study based on massively parallel sequencing of the whole exome of leukemic and matched normal cells from a HCL patient and subsequent targeted resequencing in additional patients, Tiacci et al (N Engl J Med. 2011 Jun 16;364:2305–15) have recently identified the BRAF V600E mutation as a genetic alteration associated with this disease. This somatic mutation was previously detected in diverse human cancers, with a particularly high frequency in melanoma (Nature. 2002 Jun 27;417:949–54; N Engl J Med. 2005 Nov 17;353:2135–47).
In order to develop a reliable molecular diagnostic tool and verify its sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of HCL, we developed an allele-specific PCR for the BRAF V600E mutation, and searched for this molecular lesion in a series of 239 patients with mature B-cell lymphoid neoplasms. The study population included 62 patients with HCL, 91 with splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL), 29 with Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM), and 57 with B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (B-CLPD). Genomic DNA was extracted from bone marrow (BM) biopsies in 61 cases of HCL, from BM in 90 patients with diverse lymphoid neoplasms (33 SMZL, 29 WM, 28 B-CLPD), and from peripheral blood (PB) in the remaining 88 patients (1 HCL, 58 SMZL, 29 B-CLPD).
The BRAF V600E mutation was detected in all patients with HCL (62/62) and in none of those with SMZL or WM. Two of the 57 patients with B-CLPD carried the mutation, and their clinical features are as follows.
This 41 year-old woman presented in November 2008 with asymptomatic lymphocytosis, without any evidence of lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly or hepatomegaly. Laboratory data showed: Hb 12.9 g/dL, WBC count 16 × 109/L (62% lymphoid cells), and PLT count 283 × 109/L. On BM biopsy, an interstitial lymphoid infiltrate (60% of the whole cellularity) composed by small, lymphocyte/centrocyte-like cells was found. By immunohistochemistry, neoplastic cells showed expression of CD20, CD79a and cyclin-D1, but were uniformly negative for CD5, CD10, CD23, CD25 and DBA44, and annexin A1. At flow cytometry analysis, they were CD20 and FMC7 positive and CD10, CD38, CD5, CD23, CD11c, CD25, DBA44 and CD103 negative. FISH for t(11;14), performed for cyclin D1 expression, was negative. Immunoglobulin rearrangement was IGHV3-48*02, IGHD7-27*01 IGHJ4*02. So far, lymphocytosis has remained stable and the patient is regularly followed without any need for treatment.
This 62 year-old male presented in 2006 with thrombocytopenia and splenomegaly, and was diagnosed with HCL was established in another hospital (no additional data are available). He was treated with cladribine with a partial response. In May 2008, we evaluated this patient in Pavia. The spleen was palpable 3 cm under the costal margin, and laboratory data showed: Hb 15.4 g/dL, WBC count 3.9 × 109/L, and PLT vount 95 × 109/L. BM biopsy showed a 20% lymphoid infiltrate with interstitial and sinusoidal pattern, composed by small to medium sized cells with evident nucleoli, resembling pro-lymphocytes. By immunohistochemistry, cells were positive for CD20 and negative for CD5, CD23, cyclin-D1, CD25, DBA44, and annexin A1. Flow cytometry demonstrated the expression of CD20, FMC7 and CD11c, partial expression (25%) of CD103, and negativity for CD5, CD10, CD38, CD23, DBA44, CD11c and CD25. This patient was asymptomatic and a watch-and wait-policy was adopted.
These findings indicate that the allele-specific PCR we developed is able to detect the mutation in the bone marrow of all patients with HCL, and confirm that the BRAF V600E mutation is highly specific for HCL within mature B-cell neoplasms. Only 2/177 (1.1%) patients with lymphoid neoplasms other than HCL (2/57 or 3.5% of patients with B-CLPD) were positive for BRAF V600E. This is in agreement with a previous study that found BRAF mutations in 2.4% of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (Br J Cancer. 2003 Nov 17;89:1958–60). The detection of the BRAF V600E mutation in the clone (or, at least, in a subclone) of mature B-cell lymphoid neoplasms without typical HCL features might help to define their biology.
No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
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