Haematologica (Aug 2010)

Aggressive large B-cell lymphoma with plasma cell differentiation: immunohistochemical characterization of plasmablastic lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with partial plasmablastic phenotype

  • Santiago Montes-Moreno,
  • Ana-Rosa Gonzalez-Medina,
  • Socorro-María Rodriguez-Pinilla,
  • Lorena Maestre,
  • Lydia Sanchez-Verde,
  • Giovanna Roncador,
  • Manuela Mollejo,
  • Juan F. García,
  • Javier Menarguez,
  • Carlos Montalbán,
  • M. Carmen Ruiz-Marcellan,
  • Eulogio Conde,
  • Miguel A. Piris

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3324/haematol.2009.016113
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 95, no. 8

Abstract

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Background Plasmablastic lymphoma has recently come to be considered a distinct entity among mature B cell neoplasms, although the limits with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) need to be more accurately defined.Design and Methods Here we show the results of an immunohistochemical study of 35 cases of plasmablastic lymphoma compared with a set of 111 conventional DLBCLs.Results Our results demonstrate that the use of a limited combination of immunohistochemical markers (PAX5&CD20, PRDM1/BLIMP1 and XBP1s) enables the identification of a plasmablastic immunophenotype highly characteristic of plasmablastic lymphoma cases and associated with an aggressive clinical behavior. Additionally, the study shows that the acquisition of a partial plasmablastic phenotype (PRDM1/BLIMP1 expression) in DLBCL is associated with shorter survival in R-CHOP-treated patients.Conclusions The use of a restricted combination of immunohistochemical markers (PAX5&CD20, PRDM1/BLIMP1 and XBP1s) enables a more accurate definition of terminal differentiation for large B-cell lymphoma.