Loss of CD20 expression following treatment with rituximab (chimaeric monoclonal anti-CD20): a retrospective cohort analysis

Authors: Foran, James M.¹; Norton, andrew J.²; Micallef, Ivana N. M.¹; Taussig, David C.³; Amess, John A. L.³; Rohatiner, Ama Z. S.¹; Lister, T. Andrew¹

Source: British Journal of Haematology, Volume 114, Number 4, September 2001 , pp. 881-883(3)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

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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.

Keywords: rituximab; CD20; immunohistochemistry; B cell; non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Imperial Cancer Research Fund Medical Oncology Unit, 2: Department of Histopathology and 3: Department of Haematology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, UK

Publication date: 2001-09-01