title: Prognostic significance of immunoglobulin isotype expression in B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: Lymph node biopsies from 170 patients with untreated non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) of B-cell type were immunophenotyped and analyzed for the Ig heavy and light chain isotypes and their relation to prognosis. IgM alone was more frequently seen in high grade (53%) compared to low grade (20%) NHL. In contrast, IgM/IgD isotypes were more frequent in low grade (47%) than in high grade NHL (20%). IgG or IgA heavy chain, alone or in combination with other heavy chain isotypes, were expressed with the same frequencies in both low (32%) and high (27%) grade NHL. Clonally restricted kappa light chain expression was noted in 64% of low grade and 66% of high grade NHL patients. Only in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and immunocytoma (IC) was a shorter survival time noted for patients with tumors expressing IgG and/or IgA heavy chains compared to those expressing IgM or IgM/IgD (P less than 0.001). This difference was not seen as being low grade follicle center cell-derived (FCC) or high grade NHL. The expression of kappa light chains on the tumor cells was associated with a significantly longer survival in CLL and IC patients only (P less than 0.01).
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Radiumhemmet, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lindemalm
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Christensson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biberfeld
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Biberfeld
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Björkholm
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kimby
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mellstedt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000235:genetics*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes