Publications
The Journal of pathologyDec 2025 |
267
(
4
),
410-423
DOI:
10.1002/path.6476

Mutation profiling in differential diagnosis between TdT-positive high-grade/large B-cell lymphoma and B-lymphoblastic leukaemia/lymphoma

Tzioni, Maria-Myrsini; Cucco, Francesco; Rásó-Barnett, Lívia; Chen, Zi; Wotherspoon, Andrew; Kurz, Katrin S; Madej, Ewelina; Makker, Jasmine; Strazda, Anna E; Guo, Fang; Egan, Caoimhe; Soilleux, Elizabeth; Hook, Liz; Krenacs, Laszlo; Geyer, Julia T; Laurent, Camille; Xerri, Luc; Mescam, Lenaïg; Plank, Lukas; Rahbek Gjerdrum, Lise Mette; Lopez-Hisijos, Nicolas; Greiner, Timothy; Khoury, Joseph; Klapper, Wolfram; Oschlies, Ilske; Rosenwald, Andreas; Ott, German; Du, Ming-Qing
Product Used
Variant Libraries
Abstract
Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is occasionally expressed in large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL), and this causes difficulty in differential diagnosis from B-lymphoblastic leukaemia/lymphoma (B-ALL/LBL). We reviewed 31 cases of TdT-positive LBCL and B-ALL/LBL, and their final diagnosis included 19 diffuse large/high-grade BCLs with MYC and BCL2 rearrangements (five DLBCL-MYC/BCL2, 14 HGBCL-MYC/BCL2), three DLBCL not otherwise specified (NOS), three HGBCL-NOS, four B-ALL/LBL, and two unclassifiable cases. TdT was variably expressed in all these cases, without any clear demarcation among different groups. Loss or partial loss of CD20 expression was seen in 13/17 DLBCL/HGBCL-MYC/BCL2, 2/3 HGBCL-NOS, and 2/2 unclassified, albeit not in DLBCL-NOS. Expression of BCL6 and/or MUM1 was seen in 3/4 B-ALL/LBLs and 2/2 unclassified. Next-generation sequencing revealed characteristic mutations associated with follicular lymphoma and its high-grade transformation in each DLBCL/HGBCL-MYC/BCL2, and also frequent variants in genes targeted by somatic hypermutation (SHM) in almost all DLBCL/HGBCL-MYC/BCL2, DLBCL-NOS, and HGBCL-NOS but one case. In contrast, such mutations were absent in B-ALL/LBL. There were no pathognomonic mutations in the two unclassifiable cases, although one showed a moderate level of somatic mutations in its rearranged IGHV. Furthermore, in three cases of TdT-positive HGBCL-MYC/BCL2, studies of previous or concurrent follicular lymphoma demonstrated their divergent evolution from an IGH::BCL2-positive cell population following acquisition of MYC translocation. In conclusion, mutation profiling analysis including the SHM target genes is highly valuable in the differential diagnosis between TdT-positive LBCL and B-ALL/LBL.
Product Used
Variant Libraries

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