{"entity": "publication", "iuid": "1601fcca9b024d62aa7315834816cc6f", "timestamp": "2026-09-23T21:37:53.768Z", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/1601fcca9b024d62aa7315834816cc6f.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/1601fcca9b024d62aa7315834816cc6f"}}, "title": "Expression of BCL6 in paediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and association with prognosis.", "authors": [{"family": "M\u00e4kinen", "given": "Artturi", "initials": "A"}, {"family": "Nikkil\u00e4", "given": "Atte", "initials": "A"}, {"family": "Mehtonen", "given": "Juha", "initials": "J"}, {"family": "Teppo", "given": "Susanna", "initials": "S"}, {"family": "Oksa", "given": "Laura", "initials": "L"}, {"family": "Nordlund", "given": "Jessica", "initials": "J"}, {"family": "Rounioja", "given": "Samuli", "initials": "S"}, {"family": "Pohjolainen", "given": "Virva", "initials": "V"}, {"family": "Laukkanen", "given": "Saara", "initials": "S"}, {"family": "Hein\u00e4niemi", "given": "Merja", "initials": "M"}, {"family": "Paavonen", "given": "Timo", "initials": "T"}, {"family": "Lohi", "given": "Olli", "initials": "O"}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2021-12-00", "journal": {"title": "Pathology", "issn": "1465-3931", "volume": "53", "issue": "7", "pages": "875-882", "issn-l": null}, "abstract": "B-cell lineage acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) is the most common paediatric malignancy. Transcription factor B-cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6) is essential to germinal centre formation and antibody affinity maturation and plays a major role in mature B-cell malignancies. More recently, it was shown to act as a critical downstream regulator in pre-BCR+ B-ALL. We investigated the expression of the BCL6 protein in a population-based cohort of paediatric B-ALL cases and detected moderate to strong positivity through immunohistochemistry in 7% of cases (8/117); however, only two of eight BCL6 cases (25%) co-expressed the ZAP70 protein. In light of these data, the subtype with active pre-BCR signalling constitutes a rare entity in paediatric B-ALL. In three independent larger cohorts with gene expression data, high BCL6 mRNA levels were associated with the TCF3-PBX1, Ph-like, NUTM1, MEF2D and PAX5-alt subgroups and the 'metagene' signature for pre-BCR-associated genes. However, higher-than-median BCL6 mRNA level alone was associated with favourable event free survival in the Nordic paediatric cohort, indicating that using BCL6 as a diagnostic marker requires careful design, and evaluation of protein level is needed alongside the genetic or transcriptomic data.", "doi": "10.1016/j.pathol.2021.02.013", "pmid": "34049715", "labels": [], "xrefs": [{"db": "pii", "key": "S0031-3025(21)00109-4"}], "notes": [], "created": "2026-09-23T13:11:11.869Z", "modified": "2026-09-23T13:11:11.881Z"}