Can BCL6 (B-cell lymphoma 6) gene rearrangement cause Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL)?

From the Guidelines

BL6 gene rearrangement is not a known cause of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) based on the provided evidence. The provided studies do not mention BL6 gene rearrangement as a cause of NHL. Instead, they discuss various subtypes of NHL, such as mantle cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and their treatment options 1. The most recent and highest quality study, published in 2019, discusses the treatment of B-cell lymphomas, including follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, but does not mention BL6 gene rearrangement as a cause of NHL 1.

Key Points

• The provided studies do not mention BL6 gene rearrangement as a cause of NHL.
• The most recent and highest quality study, published in 2019, discusses the treatment of B-cell lymphomas, but does not mention BL6 gene rearrangement as a cause of NHL 1.
• The studies discuss various subtypes of NHL, such as mantle cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and their treatment options 1.

Treatment Options

• The treatment options for NHL depend on the subtype and stage of the disease.
• Intensive, short-duration chemotherapy regimens, such as CODOX-M/IVAC or Hyper-CVAD, are often used to treat aggressive B-cell NHL, such as Burkitt lymphoma.
• Rituximab, a monoclonal antibody, is often added to chemotherapy regimens to improve treatment outcomes.
• CAR T-cell therapy has emerged as a novel treatment option for relapsed/refractory DLBCL and TFL 1.

From the Research

BL6 Gene Rearrangement and NHL

• The BL6 gene rearrangement has been studied in the context of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in several research papers 2, 3.
• According to a study published in the British Journal of Haematology, rearrangements of the BCL6 gene were found in 21 out of 197 patients (10.7%) with B-cell neoplasms, and 11 out of 25 patients (44%) first studied at relapse 2.
• The study also found that BCL6 gene rearrangements were not closely associated with a specific histopathologic subtype of NHL, but were distributed in subcategories in the Working Formulation 2.
• Another study published in Leukemia & Lymphoma found that 12 out of 54 patients (22%) with NHL had rearranged BCL6 genes, and that all cases were of the B-cell type 3.
• The study also found that the partner sites of the 3q27 translocation were variable, including 6p21.3, 9p22, and 14q11, in addition to the immunoglobulin loci 14q32 (IGH), 2p12 (IGK), and 22q11 (IGL) 3.

Clinical Implications

• The presence of BCL6 gene rearrangements has been associated with a favorable clinical outcome in some studies 2.
• However, the clinical implications of BCL6 gene rearrangements in NHL are not fully understood and require further study.
• Other genetic abnormalities, such as BCL2 rearrangements, have also been studied in the context of NHL 2, 4.
• The use of rituximab, a monoclonal antibody that targets the CD20 antigen, has been shown to be effective in the treatment of NHL, including cases with BCL6 gene rearrangements 5, 4.