Defects in the apoptotic pathway are pathogenetically important in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and follicular lymphoma. To further understand these defects, we profiled the apoptotic gene expression of these two neoplasms. Oligonucleotide arrays with 112 apoptotic genes were used, and data analysis was performed on seven chronic lymphocytic leukemia and 10 follicular lymphoma frozen tumor samples from six and seven patients, respectively. The overall gene expression pattern was strikingly similar among all 17 samples, regardless of the type of lymphoma and history of chemotherapy exposure. MCL1, TNFRSF1B and TNFRSF7 were highly expressed in most cases. The apoptotic gene expression between the groups of untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (n ¼ 3) and untreated follicular lymphoma (n ¼ 6) was also similar (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.94). Comparison between the groups of untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (n ¼ 3) and postchemotherapy chronic lymphocytic leukemia (n ¼ 4) revealed six genes with 42-fold changes, including BIRC5/Survivin that was higher in the postchemotherapy samples. This finding was validated by immunohistochemistry. Similar analysis of follicular lymphoma cases did not identify any significant differences. To conclude, our findings suggest that chronic lymphocytic leukemia and follicular lymphoma share common apoptotic defects, and highlight the importance of MCL1 and the TNF pathway. Upregulation of survivin may be one of the mechanisms by which chronic lymphocytic leukemia becomes desensitized to chemotherapy.

A case of trichilemmoma in continuity with a pigmented basal cell carcinoma is presented with dermatoscopy and dermatopathology. The distinction between the two lesions was evident dermatoscopically and was confirmed dermatopathologically. While trichilemmoma has been reported in association with basal cell carcinoma and dermatoscopy images of four previous cases of trichilemmoma have been published, no previous dermatoscopy image has been published of trichilemmoma associated with basal cell carcinoma.

et al. Extensive homology between the major immunodominant mitochondrial antigen in primary biliary cirrhosis and Helicobacter pylori does not lead to immunological cross-reactivity. Scand J Gastroenterol 2004;39:981-7. 7 Bogdanos DP, Baum H, Okamoto M, et al. Primary biliary cirrhosis is characterized by IgG3 antibodies cross-reactive with the major mitochondrial autoepitope and its Lactobacillus mimic. Hepatology 2005;42:458-65.