Identification, and subsequent molecular dissection, of recurring structural chromosome aberrations has led to a substantial increase in our understanding of lymphomagenesis. Thus we have reviewed the published literature on cytogenetic findings in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in search of previously unrecognized recurring chromosome aberrations. Thirty-four balanced rearrangements, including 32 reciprocal translocations and two inversions, and 25 unbalanced translocations, each observed in at least two different cases of NHL and previously unrecognized as recurring, have been ascertained. Among the 32 reciprocal translocations, 10 involved bands harboring one of the immunoglobulin (Ig) genes. In nine of these, the following bands or regions may be sites of putative oncogenes that are activated through juxtaposition to Ig loci: 1p35-36, 5q11, 6q21, 9p24, 12q13, 13q11, 15p11, 15q21-22 and 15q23-24. In one instance, t(21;22)(q22;q11), Ig lambda chain gene involvement is unlikely, because the t(21;22) has been identified in two NHLs of T-cell lineage. An additional four reciprocal translocations and one inversion affected the band 3q27, containing the BCL6/LAZ3 gene, and one of the following bands: 1q25, 3q12, 6p21, 7p13, 12p13. Three other reciprocal translocations had the breakpoint at 11q13 known to harbor the BCL1 gene. Among the 16 remaining balanced rearrangements, one translocation involved a band containing a gene for a T-cell receptor, i.e. 7q35. Almost all chromosomes in the human karyotype (except 3, 8, 20 and 21) were implicated in at least one of the 25 recurrent unbalanced translocations. The distribution of resulting chromosomal imbalances is highly nonrandom, however, because 17 translocations involved the long arm of chromosome 1 (1q) invariably resulting in partial trisomy of 1q. We suggest that these unbalanced translocations of Iq are best regarded as non-specific secondary abnormalities that may contribute to lymphoma progression.

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