CHSJ

Curr Health Sci J, vol. 37, no. 4, 2011

Primary Gastric MALT-Type Lymphoma Pathogenesis

[Review]

I. ROTARU(1), T. CIUREA(2), G.GAMAN(1), S. NEAMTU(1)


(1)Department of Haematology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova;
(2)Department of Gastroenterology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova


Abstract:

Gastric lymphoma is considered to be primary when the initial symptoms of the disease are located in the stomach or when the tumour mass is located in the stomach. MALT lymphoma represents 35-40% of primary gastric lymphomas. If the involvement of Helicobacter pylori in the primary gastric lymphoma etiopathogenesis and the favourable response of the disease to the eradication therapy tend to become postulated, much less known is the role of the host’s immune response in pathogenesis, as long as only a small proportion of infected patients develop lymphoma. Besides the tumour specific T cells, it is necessary for Helicobacter pylori that malignant B cells have also certain features allowing their uncontrolled proliferation at their stimulation by T lymphocytes. There are probably some genetic abnormalities that confer them growth advantage or abnormal biological properties such as the ability to recognize autoantigens. Gastric lymphomas are characterized by microsatellite instability (MALT lymphoma) and chromosomal instability, involving loss or gain of large chromosomal regions or even chromosomes. In MALT lymphoma there are found at least three recurrent chromosomal translocations in most cases (65%): t(11;18)(q21;q21) that results in the appearance of a chimerical fusion gene API2-MALT; t(1;14)(p22;q32) that alters the expression bcl10; and t(14;18)(q32;q21) that causes the alteration of the MALT1 expression. Concerning different genes, all these translocations result in the activation of nuclear factor kB (NFkB), which has an important regulator role of numerous genes involved in immunity and apoptosis, and consequently in the progression of lymphoma


Keywords: MALT lymphoma, Helicobacter pilory, nuclear factor kB



Corresponding: Rotaru Ionela MD, PhD student, Department of Haematology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Str Petru Rares nr. 4, 200456, Craiova, Dolj, RomAnia; mail: rodirot@yahoo.com


DOI 10.12865/CHSJ.37.04.01 - Download PDF
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