PURPOSE To investigate potential immunotherapeutic strategies in B lymphocytic malignancies we looked for CTLs recognizing CD19 and CD20 epitopes. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Three CD19 and CD20 peptides binding to HLA-A*0201 were identified and used to detect peptide specific CTLs by a quantitative real-time PCR to measure IFN-gamma mRNA expression in 23 healthy individuals and 28 patients (18 chron...

The anti-CD20 antibody rituximab has substantially improved outcomes in patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. However, many patients are not cured by rituximab-based therapies, and overcoming de novo or acquired rituximab resistance remains an important challenge to successful treatment of B-cell malignancies. Interferon-alpha (IFNalpha) has potent immunostimulatory properties and antipro...

CD20+ T cell lymphoma is a rare condition that includes both precursor and peripheral T cell types. However, these cases may be mistaken for T cell marker positive B cell lymphoma, thus creating diagnostic problems with subsequent clinical implications. This report describes a unique case of nodal CD20+ T cell lymphoma with simultaneous cutaneous and subcutaneous involvement. Both nodal and cut...

Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody widely used in the treatment of malignant lymphoma and autoimmunity. Its epitope within the B-cell antigen CD20 is largely unknown. We used phage display libraries to select peptides binding to rituximab. Enriched peptides showed 2 sequence patterns: one motif (CALMIANSC) is related to (170)ANPS(173) within CD20, while another motif (WEWTI) may mimic the CD20 ...

The B-lymphocyte antigen (CD20) is a suitable target for single-stranded (ss) nucleic acid oligomer (aptamers). The aim of study was selection and characterization of a ssDNA aptamer against CD20 using Cell-Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (Cell-SELEX). The cDNA clone of CD20 (pcDNA-CD20) was transfected to human embryonic kidney (HEK293T) cells. Ten rounds of Cell-SELE...

Unresponsiveness to rituximab treatment develops in many patients prompting elucidation of underlying molecular pathways. It was recently observed that rituximab-resistant lymphoma cells exhibit up-regulation of components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Therefore, we investigated in more detail the role of this system in the regulation of CD20 levels and the influence of proteasome i...

The anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb) rituximab has revolutionized the treatment of B-cell malignancies. This unprecedented success has not only substantially changed the mindset of the clinical community about the ability of mAb to improve outcomes but has catalyzed the interest in the pharmaceutical industry to develop the next generation of anti-CD20 mAbs. Since the introduction of rituxim...

CD20 Abs induce clinical responses in lymphoma patients, but there are considerable differences between individual patients. In (51)Cr release assays with whole blood as effector source, RAJI cells were effectively killed by a mouse/human chimeric IgG1 construct of CD20 Ab 1F5, whereas ARH-77 proved resistant to killing by this Ab. When whole blood was fractionated into plasma, mononuclear cell...

Germ-free animal models have demonstrated that commensal bacterial colonization of the intestine induces B cell differentiation and activation. Whether colonization with particular bacterial species or groups is associated with B cell development during early childhood is not known. In a prospective newborn/infant cohort including 65 Swedish children, we examined the numbers and proportions of ...

Previous studies have indicated that chronic lymphocytic leukemias (CLL) are characterized by the coexpression of CD5 and B-cell antigens, while hairy cell leukemias (HCL) typically express CD11c+CD5- B-cell immunophenotypes. In this report we describe the features of B-cell leukemias with CD11c+CD5+ immunophenotypes and the identification of novel circulating B-cell subsets defined by the expr...