A subset of t(11;14) lymphoma with mantle cell features displays mutated IgVH genes and includes patients with good prognosis, nonnodal disease

Abstract

We analyzed lymphocyte morphology, histology, immunophenotype, immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgVH) gene mutations, and clinical course in 80 unselected patients presenting with circulating t(11;14) lymphocytes. Of the 80 patients, 43 had peripheral lymphadenopathy (nodal group), and histology confirmed mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in all. There were 37 patients with no lymphadenopathy (nonnodal group); 13 of 37 had histology, all showing MCL. IgVH genes were unmutated in 28 (90%) of 31 nodal and 15 (44%) of 34 nonnodal cases (P =.0001); CD38 was positive in 32 (94%) of 34 nodal and 16 (48%) of 33 nonnodal cases (P <.001); 41 (95%) of 43 nodal patients required immediate treatment compared with 18 (49%) of 37 nonnodal patients who had indolent disease (P <.0001). Median survival (95% confidence interval) was 30 months (10-50) in the nodal group and 79 months (22-136) in the nonnodal group (P =.005). Mutation status did not statistically affect survival, but of 6 long-term survivors (> 90 months) all were nonnodal and 5 of 5 had mutated IgVH genes. Lymphocyte morphology was heterogeneous in both groups: typical MCL in 56 cases (34 nodal, 22 nonnodal), blastoid MCL in 8 cases (3 nodal, 5 nonnodal), and small-cell MCL in 16 cases (6 nodal, 10 nonnodal, P =.12). Matutes immunophenotyping score was 1 in 65 cases and 2 in 15 (8 nodal, 7 nonnodal). We find no evidence against a diagnosis of MCL in the nonnodal group and suggest that mutated IgVH genes may help identify patients with indolent disease.