To clarify whether mantle cell lymphomas (MCLs) are related to naive pre-germinal center B cells (expressing nonmutated rearranged VH genes) or to germinal center-derived memory B cells (expressing mutated rearranged VH genes), clonal IgH gene rearrangements using DNA from six MCLs were polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified and analyzed for the presence of somatic mutations. For comparison,...

To better understand the role of the BCL-3 locus at chromosome 17q22 in the pathogenesis and progression of leukemias and lymphomas, we examined its genomic configuration in 264 B-cell malignancies and its expression in a smaller subset. Cases studied included 39 chronic lymphocytic leukemias, 58 low-grade follicular lymphomas, 20 mantle cell lymphomas, 30 small noncleaved cell lymphomas, 25 ac...

Most non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL) in the head and neck region develop in the extranodal lymphatic system of the Waldeyer ring.1 Within the Waldeyer ring, the nasopharynx is the second most common site of disease after the tonsil. Primary nasopharyngeal lymphoma is much less common, occurring in only 8% of all NHL of the head and neck,2 and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most comm...

OBJECTIVES To analyze CD200 expression by flow cytometry in a large series of B-cell neoplasms in a variety of tissue types in comparison with benign B-lineage cells. METHODS We measured CD200 expression levels in 505 peripheral blood (PB), bone marrow (BM), and lymphoid tissue biopsy specimens, including 364 cases positive for B-cell leukemias and lymphomas. RESULTS CD200 expression in chr...

This study evaluated the contributing roles of flow cytometric immunophenotyping of blood and bone marrow and immunohistochemical paraffin section staining of bone marrow biopsies in the staging of B-cell malignant lymphoma. Flow immunophenotyping was performed on a marrow specimen in 175 cases; a corresponding blood specimen was also immunophenotyped in 135 of these cases. Morphologic marrow i...

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an infrequent subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and represents between 4-8% of adult lymphomas. Recently an increase in its incidence to 1-2 cases/100,000 inhabitants/year has been observed. The first line of treatment is based on chemoimmunotherapy and depends on age and the initial stage at diagnosis. There are no second line or successive treatments. There...

Allogeneic transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells (allo-SCT) is being increasingly used to treat patients with lymphoma. We describe current results of allo-SCT in patients with Hodgkin's disease, indolent lymphoma including Waldenström's disease, and aggressive lymphoma including mantle cell lymphoma and mature T-cell lymphomas. A Graft-vs.-Lymphoma (GvL) effect is present in most entitie...

Immunoglobulin (Ig) gene rearrangements remain largely unmodified during the clonal expansion of neoplastic cells. We investigated the clonal relationships between lymphoma components at diagnosis and at relapse by analyzing Ig gene rearrangements. A BIOMED-2 multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was performed in 27 patients using formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues, with subsequ...

BACKGROUND In our recent study, we determined the cut-off value of CD20 expression at the level of 25, 000 molecules of equivalent soluble fluorochrome (MESF) to be the predictor of response to rituximab containing treatment in patients with B-cell lymphomas. In 17.5% of patients, who had the level of CD20 expression below the cut-off value, the response to rituximab containing treatment was si...