Background: A significant number of studies describe the cytogenetics and molecular genetics of adult non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL); however, similar knowledge is lacking regarding pediatric NHL.
Methods: A workshop to discuss the "State of the Art and Future Needs in Cytogenetic/Molecular Genetics/Arrays" in pediatric NHL was held in conjunction with the First International Symposium on Childhood and Adolescent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma on April 9, 2003 in New York City.
Results: Cytogenetic characteristics of pediatric NHL include 14q11.2 rearrangements in T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphomas (LBL), ALK rearrangements in anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCL), and CMYC translocations in both Burkitt and Burkitt-like lymphomas (BL/BLL). Pediatric diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is cytogenetically different from DLBCL in adults, suggesting a different disease in children. Microarray studies demonstrate three types of T-cell leukemia, the leukemic counterpart of LBL, that block T-cell differentiation at different stages of T-cell development, corresponding to LYL, TAL1, and HOX-expressing leukemias. ALCL cell lines have a unique expression profile compared to normal T-cells. Germinal centers of BL have CMYC expression signatures, indicating that CMYC expression is ectopic and does not reflect the physiology of the normal cell counterpart.
Conclusions: Additional cytogenetic, molecular and microarray investigations of NHL in children are vital to better understand these diseases, their etiology, and differences from adult NHL. A greater understanding of pediatric NHL will lead to disease-specific and patient-individualized therapies of these diseases.