To further elucidate the role of antigen selection in the evolution of gastric low-grade MALT-type lymphoma, we analyzed intraclonal variations of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region (Ig VH) genes expressed in three cases of lymphoma.
Persisting monoclonal bands for immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (VH) representing the lymphoma clone have been described in up to 50% of patients in CR.
In three of five patients who had interpretable results, a distinct, monoclonal, VH family-specific band profile was obtained from the cerebral and systemic lymphoma.