Somatic inactivation of NFKBIA, the gene encoding IkappaBalpha, is a frequent occurrence in the malignant Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Impairment of IkappaBalpha function results in deregulated NF-kappaB activity, a characteristic of HRS cells. The molecular basis for familial HL, which accounts for approximately 4% of all HL cases, is unclear. To date, familial HL cases have not been evaluated for germline NFKBIA mutations. We screened the entire NFKBIA gene in 8 individuals with familial HL but found no mutations in the coding region or promoter sequences. We identified the first germline NFKBIA missense mutation in a patient with presumed sporadic HL. The frequency of 4 polymorphisms within the NFKBIA gene and promoter region was investigated in a series of HL and control samples; no significant differences emerged but a novel polymorphism was identified in the promoter region. Overall, our results suggest that germline mutations of NFKBIA are not a significant cause of familial aggregation of HL but may contribute to inherited susceptibility to HL.
(c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.