title: Development of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in a patient with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia/lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma: clonal identity between two B-cell neoplasms.
abstract: Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM)/ lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) is an indolent mature B-cell neoplasm. In rare cases of WM/LPL, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) develops as a result of histologic transformation. In this report, we present a case of DLBCL developing in a patient with WM/LPL. Combination chemotherapy for DLBCL was effective and complete remission was eventually achieved. We attempted to determine the clonal relatedness between WM/LPL and DLBCL in the patient by analyzing complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) in the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene. A common CDR3 sequence was found in tumor cells of DLBCL and those of WM/LPL, indicating that tumor cells of DLBCL are clonally identical to those of WM/LPL. Therefore, in the present case, DLBCL is developed from WM/LPL cells by clonal evolution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology;
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shiseki
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Norimichi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Tomofumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshinaga
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Masanao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teramura
authors.forename: Toshiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Motoji