title: Bortezomib in plasmablastic lymphoma: a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is an aggressive subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). While classically associated with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), cases of PBL in immunocompetent patients have been increasingly described. PBL shares common morphological and immunohistochemical features with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and multiple myeloma (MM). Due to the rarity of PBL, there is no current consensual standard therapy available. As a result, PBL treatment is mirrored after aggressive NHL regimens. One of the newly emerged therapeutic options for PBL is bortezomib, which is a proteasome inhibitor and a cornerstone in MM therapy. In recently published cases, bortezomib has shown promising results in PBL.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this report, we describe a patient with HIV-negative PBL who dramatically responded to bortezomib after failing several other lines of therapy. We also review 4 other, similar cases reported in the literature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that bortezomib resulted in rapid and dramatical responses regardless of the line of therapy. Although most of these responses were not sustained, bortezomib represents a new therapeutic option for PBL that should be further explored in larger clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Nakhle S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Saba
authors.forename: Daniella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.forename: Jowana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saba
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Maissaa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Janbain
authors.forename: Bassam
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maalouf
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Safah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001897:Boronic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000069286:Bortezomib; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016400:Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Immunoblastic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001897:Boronic Acids; D011719:Pyrazines; D000069286:Bortezomib