Abstract
A retrospective analysis of CD20 expression following rituximab for B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma demonstrated a significant change in immunophenotype in 6/25 (24%) patients with persistent bone marrow (BM) infiltration. In three out of six patients, the B cells were uniformly CD20−/CD79α+, consistent with frank loss of CD20 expression. In the remaining three cases, the BM infiltrate was predominantly (>80%) CD20−/CD79α+. Two of the former but none of the latter three cases achieved a clinical response. In three further cases, the post-treatment BM infiltrate was composed entirely of benign or reactive CD3+ T cells. Frank loss of CD20 was not seen in 25 post-treatment lymph node biopsies. Immunophenotyping is therefore an important adjunct in the diagnosis of BM infiltration following rituximab.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 881-883 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | British journal of haematology |
Volume | 114 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2001 |
Keywords
- B cell
- CD20
- Immunohistochemistry
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Rituximab
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Hematology