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Familial aggregation of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other neoplasms

Leukemia volume 19, pages 2342–2343 (2005)Cite this article

TO THE EDITOR

We have recently reported a strong familial clustering of diffuse large B-cell and follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).1 Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/immunocytoma (LPL) is a rare form of B-cell NHL, arising from plasma cells, characterized by high serum levels of monoclonal immunoglobulins with cryoglobulinemia and usually bone marrow infiltration of small lymphocytes showing evidence of plasmacytoid or plasma-cell differentiation.2 The term Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) refers specifically to LPL patients with an exceeding and widely variable serum level of monoclonal IgM.2 The etiology of LPL is largely unknown. The two major acknowledged risk factors are a pre-existing IgM monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance (MGUS) and a history of hepatitis C virus infection.2 The only case–control study published included 65 WM patients, and reported an excess risk for a higher educational level, but no significant differences between other socio-demographic indicators, tobacco or alcohol consumption, and history of medical conditions.3 A heritable component of WM has been suggested by the reported occurrence in multiple-case families, but a reliable estimate of the proportion of all LPL occurring in the family setting remains undefined.4 Using the 2004 update of the Swedish Family-Cancer Database, we assessed the familial risk of LPL in relatives with different types of neoplasms.

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References

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Acknowledgements

The Family-Cancer Database was created by linking registries maintained by Statistics Sweden and the Swedish Cancer Registry. This study was supported by the Deutsche Krebshilfe, the Swedish Cancer Society and the EU, LSHC-LT-2004-503465.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Molecular Genetic Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany

    A Altieri, J L Bermejo & K Hemminki

  2. Department of Biosciences at Novum, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden

    K Hemminki

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  1. A Altieri
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  2. J L Bermejo
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  3. K Hemminki
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Correspondence to A Altieri.

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Altieri, A., Bermejo, J. & Hemminki, K. Familial aggregation of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other neoplasms. Leukemia 19, 2342–2343 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403991

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