ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the safety of Rituximab combined with intensive chemotherapy in the treatment of aggressive mature B-cell lymphoma/leukemia in children.Methods:The clinical data of 77 patients with primary pediatric aggressive mature B-cell lymphoma/leukemia who were treated according to the Chinese Children Cancer Group(CCCG)-mature B-cell lymphoma(BNHL)-2015 protocol at Shanghai Children′s Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University School from November 1, 2014 to July 31, 2018 were collected.A comparison was drawn on the adverse reactions and recovery of immune function indexes between patients in the Rituximab combined with intensive chemotherapy group (R4 group) and the chemotherapy alone group (R3 group).Results:Rituximab combined with AA was associated with a significantly lower platelet count [79.5%(35/44 cases) vs.54.5%(24/44 cases), χ2=6.223, P=0.011] and a higher incidence of infection [70.5%(31/44 cases) vs.36.4%(16/44 cases), χ2=10.275, P=0.001] compared with AA alone; Rituximab combined BB was associated with a higher incidence of mucositis and infection compared with BB alone [40.8%(20/49 cases) vs.29.3%(22/75 cases) and 85.7%(42/49 cases) vs. 72.0%(54/75 cases), respectively], but the differences were not statistically significant.A greater proportion of patients in the R4 group had a decrease in peripheral blood CD 19 positive cells (no statistically significant difference, P>0.05) and a greater proportion had a decrease in serum IgG ( P<0.05) compared to the R3 group, but there was no significant difference in treatment-related mortality between both groups.For patients in the R4 group, the average recovery time of IgG and IgM level was 13.1 months, and the longest recovery time was 31 months after the end of treatment. Conclusions:Rituximab combined with intensive chemotherapy is generally safe in the treatment of aggressive mature B-cell lymphoma/leukemia in children.However, it is often accompanied with prolonged immunoglo-bulin deficiency and the potential risk of secondary infection.Therefore, the strict control over the indications for its application is required, and the gamma globulin replacement therapy deserves to be investigated in the future.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: JL1, a CD43 epitope and mucin family cell surface glycoprotein, is expressed on leukemic cells. An anti-JL1 antibody combined with a toxic substance can have targeted therapeutic effects against JL1-positive leukemia; however, JL1 expression on bone marrow (BM) lymphoma cells has not been assessed using flow cytometry. We investigated JL1 expression on BM lymphoma cells from patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) to assess the potential of JL1 as a therapeutic target. METHODS: Patients with BM involvement of mature B-cell (N=44) or T- and natural killer (NK)-cell (N=4) lymphomas were enrolled from May 2015 to September 2016. JL1 expression on BM lymphoma cells was investigated using flow cytometry. Clinical, pathological, and cytogenetic characteristics, and treatment responses were compared according to JL1 expression status. RESULTS: Of the patients with NHL and BM involvement, 37.5% (18/48) were JL1-positive. Among mature B-cell lymphomas, 100%, 38.9%, 33.3%, 100%, and 25.0% of Burkitt lymphomas, diffuse large B-cell leukemias, mantle cell leukemias, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, and other B-cell lymphomas, respectively, were JL1-positive. Three mature T- and NK-cell NHLs were JL1-positive. JL1 expression was associated with age (P=0.045), complete response (P=0.004), and BM involvement at follow-up (P=0.017), but not with sex, performance status, the B symptoms, packed marrow pattern, cytogenetic abnormalities, or survival. CONCLUSIONS: JL1 positivity was associated with superior complete response and less BM involvement in NHL following chemotherapy.