MabThera.com

Approximately 90% of DLBCLs are of B-cell origin. The DLBCLs account for approximately 30% of all cases of NHL and represent the majority of cases in the aggressive setting¹. Approximately one third of patients have early stage disease at diagnosis, but the majority have clinically disseminated disease². DLBCLs most frequently present in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver and bone marrow. There is sometimes extranodal involvement, including central nervous system (CNS), lung, skeletal and gastrointestinal tract involvement.

Generally, DLBCL is characterised by large lymphoid cells whose nuclei are approximately twice the size of that of a small lymphocyte. The tumour cells express the B-cell antigens CD19, CD20, CD22 and CD79a. CD5 and CD10 are expressed variably¹.

More recently, the use of gene expression profiling using cDNA microarrays led to the discovery of biologically and clinically distinct subtypes of DLBCL. Three gene-expression subgroups, germinal-centre B-cell-like, activated B-cell-like, and type 3 DLBCL lymphoma were identified and shown to correlate with different survival outcomes³.

References

1. Armitage J, Coiffier B, Dalla-Favera R, Harris N, ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 2004:427-501.
2. Gaynor ER, Fisher RI. Aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In: Armitage JO, ed. Malignant Lymphoma.London:Arnold, 2000:288-307.
3. Rosenwald A, et al. The use of molecular profiling to predict survival after chemotherapy for diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma.N Engl J Med. 2002 Jun 20;346(25):1937-47.