Aberrant Bcl6 protein expression in mantle cell lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma is routinely considered as a Bcl6-negative B-cell lymphoma carrying the translocation t(11;14). Here we describe a series of five Bc16-positive mantle cell lymphoma cases, including three classic and two blastoid variants. The proliferative index of these cases, measured with the Ki-67 antibody, was slightly higher than in Bcl6-negative mantle cell lymphoma cases (32.2 vs. 23.7%) Bc16 expression was associated with translocations involving 3q27 in four of the five cases and an extra copy of the BCL6 gene in the fifth. A mutational study of the major mutational cluster in the BCL6 gene revealed no increased mutation rate, except in one case. One of the three cases displayed a high mutational index in the IgVH gene, suggesting exposure to a germinal center microenvironment. Chromosomal alterations involving 3q27 seem to be responsible for this increased Bc16 expression, which needs to be considered when Bc16 is used in lymphoma diagnosis.