Early relapse after rituximab chemoimmunotherapy.
In relapsed/refractory childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) of the B-cell lineage rituximab, a monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody was used successfully in some cases. We report on a 15-year-old female with relapsed CD20-positive B-cell progenitor ALL treated with rituximab because of positive minimal residual disease signals after chemotherapy, as checked by flow cytometry and real time quantitative-PCR. Rituximab eliminated the CD20-positive subpopulation, but not the more immature leukemic cells. The patient died with fulminant aspergillosis before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation could be performed.
Kiss
Flora
F
Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Pathology, Medical and Health Sicence Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
Buslig
Julia
J
Szegedi
Istvan
I
Scholtz
Beata
B
Kappelmayer
Janos
J
Kiss
Csongor
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016694:Gene Rearrangement, delta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D006801:Humans; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000473:pathology; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D000069283:Rituximab
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000069283:Rituximab