Molecular diagnosis of B- and T-cell lymphomas: fundamental principles and clinical applications

Molecular diagnostic assays have become routine in the evaluation of lymphoid malignancies. Both Southern transfer and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technologies are used to assess for B- and T-cell clonality, the presence of rearrangements involving protooncogenes such as bcl-1 and bcl-2, and the monitoring of minimal residual disease. We review the fundamentals of B- and T-cell ontogeny as well as the basic principles of the Southern transfer and PCR assays and their applications to the diagnosis of lymphoid malignancies.