EDITORIAL The t(14;18) Translocation in Hodgkin's Disease

In this issue of the Journal, Poppema et al. (7) contribute significantly to our understanding of the role of the t(14;18) translocation involving the bcl-2 gene (also known as BCL2) in Hodgkin's disease. This is an issue that has been shrouded in controversy since we first detected the t(14;18) translocation in tissues of 32 % of unselected Hodgkin's disease patients (2). Although Hodgkin's disease is a well-defined clinical entity, its pathogenesis and cellular origin have remained an enigma. The malignant Reed-Sternberg cells and their variants constitute only 1 % or less of the total cell population in Hodgkin's disease, with the remainder consisting primarily of benign inflammatory (reactive) cells. Immunohistological analysis with cell lineage-associated markers has suggested a variety of cells as the cell of origi