title: Transformation of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma into pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia: clinicopathologic features and clonal relationship.
abstract: A patient with fibrosing alveolitis developed a diffuse large B-cell (DLBC) lymphoma that expressed CD20 and CD30. After an initial response, the lymphoma relapsed and was salvaged with further chemotherapy. After another remission of 3 years, a pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which expressed CD10, CD19, CD22, CD79a, CD34 and terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase, developed and led to death. Molecular analysis of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene showed that the initial lymphoma and its relapse were clonally related. At leukemic relapse, 2 clones related to the initial and relapsed lymphoma clones were present. DLBC lymphomas arise from post-follicle center B cells, whereas ALL arises from pregerminal B cells. Therefore, a direct transformation of DLBC lymphoma to ALL appears unlikely. The overall features suggest instead separate lymphoma and leukemic evolution from a common mutated B-cell precursor rather than transformation of DLBC lymphoma to ALL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Au
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Kwong
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001483:Base Sequence; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D002999:Clone Cells; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007621:Karyotyping; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D012367:RNA, Viral; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins; C067169:RPL22 protein, human