The t(14;18) is the most common genetic alteration in follicular lymphoma, and is detectable in a subset of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL), resulting in over-expression of the anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2. Although the t(14;18)-induced over-expression of BCL-2 is an important step in lymphomagenesis,The t(14;18) is a frequent chromosomal alteration in nonHodgkin's lymphomas (NHL), occurring in up to 90% of follicular lymphomas 1 and 20 to 30% of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL). 2,3 This translocation is acquired early in B-cell development and results in juxtaposition of the bcl-2 gene on chromosome 18 with the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus on chromosome 14, resulting deregulated expression of a structurally intact BCL-2 protein. 4 -8 BCL-2 is located in the inner mitochondrial membrane and functions as an anti-apoptotic protein that inhibits programmed cell death, 9 resulting in accumulation of B-lymphocytes by virtue of increased cell survival. 9 -11 Although the t(14;18)-induced over-expression of bcl-2 is an important step in lymphomagenesis, this alteration alone is not sufficient to produce malignant lymphoma. This has been demonstrated in in vitro gene transfer experiments using cell lines and transgenic mice studies in which forced over-expression of bcl-2 was insufficient to cause lymphoma. 12,13 Indeed, low numbers of t(14; 18)-carrying cells can be detected in benign lymphoid tissues such as follicular hyperplasias and the hyperplastic tonsils of young children. 14 These studies indicate that cumulative genetic and cellular alterations superimposed on the t(14;18) are necessary for the development of lymphoma and underscore the need for further analysis of t(14;18)-containing DLBCLs to identify additional genes involved in lymphomagenesis and progression.cDNA microarray technology allows large scale parallel analyses of gene expression and permits simultaneous comparison of the relative gene expression levels of several thousand genes in different cell types. 15,16 This approach has now been used successfully by a number