title: Higher levels of surface CD20 expression on circulating lymphocytes compared with bone marrow and lymph nodes in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
abstract: Differential expression of CD20 surface antigen in B-cell neoplasms at different sites is largely unknown. The number of CD20 antibodies bound per cell (CD20 ABC) in bone marrow (BM), peripheral blood (PB), and lymph node aspirate (LNA) samples from patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) or other B-cell disease was studied using quantitative flow cytometry. CD20 ABC differed significantly with the specimen type in B-CLL, being highest in PB (mean, 9,051) and lower in BM (mean, 4,067) and LNA (mean, 3,951). No difference in CD20 ABC between BM and PB samples was found in splenic lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, or follicular lymphoma. Also, we found a significant difference of CD20 ABC by type of disease: lowest in B-CLL; higher in splenic, follicular, and mantle cell lymphoma; and highest in hairy cell leukemia. The lower CD20 surface antigen levels in BM and LNA than in PB in B-CLL may have clinical relevance with regard to the efficacy of rituximab therapy.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Hematopathology and Leukemia, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030-4009, USA.
authors.forename: Y O
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Keating
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Saffer
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jilani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lerner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albitar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D018951:Antigens, CD20 / Q000032:analysis*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D020522:Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D000069283:Rituximab; D013160:Splenic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D018951:Antigens, CD20; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000069283:Rituximab