title: Successful treatment with rituximab for angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.
abstract: We experienced a patient with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) without Epstein-Barr virus-positive B (EBV-B) cells at initial presentation who progressed to AITL with expansion of EBV-B cells at relapse. Based on the results of repeated biopsy, the patient was successfully treated with rituximab in combination with chemotherapy at relapse. A repeat biopsy may be necessary to determine the optimum therapeutic strategy at relapse, particularly for patients with suspected expansion of B cell and/or EBV-B cells. Although a recent report found no significant prognostic advantage of rituximab, it is one of the active drugs for selected patients with AITL.
authors.affiliation: Sumitomo Hospital, Department of Hematology, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.affiliation: Rinku General Medical Center, Department of Hematology, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsunayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kakimoto
authors.affiliation: Sumitomo Hospital, Department of Hematology, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: Sumitomo Hospital, Department of Hematology, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Keigo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akuta
authors.affiliation: Sumitomo Hospital, Department of Hematology, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazutaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Sumitomo Hospital, Department of Hematology, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ujiie
authors.affiliation: Sumitomo Hospital, Department of Hematology, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sugahara
authors.affiliation: National Hospital Organization Osaka Minami Medical Center, Department of Pathology, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hoshida
authors.affiliation: Sumitomo Hospital, Department of Hematology, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakoda
keywords: Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL); EBV-DNA; Epstein–Barr virus; R-CHOP; Rituximab