BCL10 nuclear expression and t(11;18)(q21;q21) indicate nonresponsiveness to Helicobacter pylori eradication of Chinese primary gastric MALT lymphoma

The eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) with antibiotics induces complete remission in 75% of patients with gastric MALT lymphoma. We investigated the efficacy of H. pylori eradication and assessed the predictive value of BCL10 nuclear expression and t(11;18)(q21;q21) regarding resistance to H. pylori eradication in primary gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALT lymphoma) patients from mainland China. Twenty-two gastric MALT cases (Stage I_E) underwent H. pylori eradication with antibiotics, and sequential endoscopic-bioptic follow-ups were performed and assessed with regular morphologic and immunohistochemical examinations. BCL10 nuclear expression and interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for MALT1 and API2/MALT1 were tested. Thirteen out of the 22 cases (59.1%) achieved complete regression (CR) after the eradication of H. pylori. The longest follow-up period in the 22 patients was 68 months, with 12 patients longer than 24 months. For the 13 CR patients, the longest follow-up period after H. pylori eradication was 53 months, with 6 patients longer than 24 months. BCL10 nuclear expression was detected by immunohistochemical staining in 9 cases, including 7 (77.8%) of 9 cases who showed no response (NR) and 2 (15.4%) of 13 patients who achieved CR following eradication therapy (P < 0.05). t(11;18)(q21;q21) was evaluated by interphase FISH in 18 cases including 11 CR and 7 NR patients after H. pylori eradication. t(11;18)(q21;q21) was found in 4 (57.1%) of 7 patients who showed NR following H. pylori eradication, but one in 11 CR patients (P < 0.05). A total of 59.1% of patients with early gastric MALT lymphoma recruited in this study achieved CR after H. pylori eradication. BCL10 nuclear expression and t(11;18)(q21;q21)-positive gastric MALT lymphomas are likely to be related to a failure to respond to H. pylori eradication in Chinese patients.