The CDKN2 gene located on chromosome 9p21 encodes the cyclin-dependent kinase-4 inhibitor p16. This gene is a putative tumor-suppressor gene because of its frequent alterations in many kinds of tumor cell lines. We analyzed the CDKN2 gene to evaluate its alterations in 52 primary specimens of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) of B-cell origin by Southern blot analysis, polymerase chain reaction-mediated single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis, and direct sequencing. By Southern blot analysis, we showed homozygous deletion of the CDKN2 gene in 3 of 42 patients with B-NHL (7.1%). After screening by PCR-SSCP analysis, direct sequencing identified one missense mutation at codon 72 (nucleotide 233) and two frameshifts due to a 35-bp deletion arising at codon 49 (nucleotides 163 to 175) in patients with B-NHL (3 of 42, 7.1%). In the patient carrying the missense mutation, hemizygous deletion of the CDKN2 gene was also suspected. In this study, we detected alterations in CDKN2 in 6 of 42 patients (14.3%) with B-NHL and in none of 10 patients with B-CLL. Our results suggest that the CDKN2 alterations contribute in tumorigenesis in some patients with B-NHL.