Early relapse after rituximab chemoimmunotherapy

Flora Kiss; Julia Buslig; Istvan Szegedi; Beata Scholtz; Janos Kappelmayer; Csongor Kiss

doi:10.1002/pbc.21388

Early relapse after rituximab chemoimmunotherapy

Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2008 Feb;50(2):372-5. doi: 10.1002/pbc.21388.

Authors

Flora Kiss¹, Julia Buslig, Istvan Szegedi, Beata Scholtz, Janos Kappelmayer, Csongor Kiss

Affiliation

¹ Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Pathology, Medical and Health Sicence Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.

PMID: 17973316
DOI: 10.1002/pbc.21388

Abstract

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.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use*
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
Combined Modality Therapy
Female
Flow Cytometry
Gene Rearrangement, delta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor
Humans
Neoplasm, Residual / pathology
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / drug therapy
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / genetics
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / immunology
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / pathology
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / therapy*
Recurrence
Rituximab

Substances

Antibodies, Monoclonal
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
Rituximab