Circulating t(14;18)-positive cells in healthy individuals: association with age and sex but not with smoking

Abstract

t(14;18)-positive cells can be detected not only in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) but also in healthy individuals (HIs). We used epidemiological data and blood samples of the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) to analyze associations of FL risk factors and t(14;18)-positive cells in HIs. Buffy coat samples from 4152 study participants were tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for t(14;18)-positive cells. Of 3966 evaluable subjects, 1526 were t(14;18)-PCR positive [38.5%, median 3.9 t(14;18)-positive per million nucleated cells, range 0.6–9299]. In multivariable analyses, age and sex but not parameters of smoking exposure were significantly associated with t(14;18) prevalence (logistic regression, p < 0.001). Multivariable analyses of t(14;18)-frequency showed a positive association with age but not with sex or smoking. These age and sex associations in HIs require careful control in future studies of t(14;18) as a potential biomarker of lymphoma risk.

Keywords::

• Follicular lymphoma
• t(14;18)
• lymphomagenesis
• healthy individuals

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the excellent technical assistance of Ute Pett.

SHIP is part of the Community Medicine Net (http://www.medizin.uni-greifswald.de/icm) of the University of Greifswald, which is funded by grants from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, grant 01ZZ96030, 01ZZ0701); the Ministry for Education, Research, and Cultural Affairs; and the Ministry for Social Affairs of the Federal State of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania.

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