Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) represents a heterogeneous group of diseases with varied clinical presentation and histological appearance.It arises from cell of the lymphoid system, tumors are mainly derived from B lymphocytes, but are also from T lymphocytes, or natural killer cells. Lymphomas rise from different stages of B and T cell differentiation. Aberrations in the tightly controlled steps of B cell development can lead to oncogenesis. These aberrations are mainly seen in form of chromosomal translocation. About 85% of NHL's are of B-cell origin and only 15% are derived from T/NK cells. Two specific lymphomas, follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma, account for about 65% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
These tumors are characterized by the level of differentiation, the size of the cell of origin, the origin cell's rate of proliferation, and the histological pattern of growth.
Lymphomas of small lymphocytes generally have a more indolent course than those of large lymphocytes, which may have intermediate-grade or high-grade aggressiveness.
The gene-expression profiles of almost all non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a reflection of the equivalent healthy cell of origin from which the lymphoma is derived.[1]
Follicular lymphoma most commonly results from the t(14;18)(q32;q21) translocation; this translocation places BCL2 (which encodes B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2) under control of the IGH enhancer element, leading to constitutive BCL2 expression.[2]
BCL-2 is an anti-apoptotic protein, and the t(14;18)(q32;q21) translocation results in markedly elevated expression of BCL-2, which blocks the healthy germinal center default program of apoptotic cell death and represents a defining pathogenic feature of follicular lymphoma.[2][3]
Similarly, mantle cell lymphoma is characterised by the t(11;14)(q13;q32) translocation, which leads to the deregulated expression of cyclin D1.[4]
Recurrent translocations including t(6;7) (p25;q32) and recurrent gene fusions involving the tumour-suppressor gene TP63 are characteristic of ALK-negative anaplastic T-cell lymphoma.[5][6]