title: CD79: a review.
abstract: CD79 is composed of CD79a and CD79b components expressed almost exclusively on B cells and B-cell neoplasms. CD79a and CD79b expression precedes immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy-chain gene rearrangement and CD20 expression during B-cell ontogeny and disappears later than CD20 in the late (plasma cell) stage of B-cell differentiation. Therefore, antibodies to CD79a and CD79b are useful in the differential diagnosis of B-cell neoplasms from T-cell neoplasms or myeloid neoplasms, or L and H lymphocyte predominance Hodgkin's lymphoma from classic Hodgkin's lymphoma. In addition, CD79a and CD79b antibodies are useful markers in the diagnosis of precursor B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pre-B-ALL) because many of these tumors are negative for other B-cell markers, such as CD20 and CD45RA. Furthermore, for B-cell neoplasms, wherein CD20 expression is aberrantly lost, such as in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, or for B-cell neoplasms after CD20-antibody therapy, CD79a may be used as a first-line B-cell marker for the diagnosis. In this review, the authors discuss the molecular biology of CD79 and the frequency and usefulness of CD79 expression in these neoplasms.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California 91010, USA.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Arber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000276:immunology; D051925:CD79 Antigens; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology*; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051925:CD79 Antigens; C497881:CD79A protein, human; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell