CD10 expression in primary intestinal large B-cell lymphomas: its clinical significance.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence and clinical significance of a follicular origin in primary intestinal large B-cell lymphomas.

DESIGN

We performed immunohistochemistry for detection of CD10 and Bcl-6 in paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 32 patients who had surgically resected primary intestinal lymphomas. We then correlated the expression of CD10 protein with various clinical parameters.

RESULTS

Fifteen of 32 cases (47%) were CD10(+), and CD10 positivity was correlated with intense Bcl-6 positivity. There were no significant differences in age, sex, serum lactate dehydrogenase level, and performance status between the CD10(+) and CD10(-) groups. Patients with CD10(+) lymphoma more frequently presented with stage I(2) disease compared with those with CD10(-) lymphoma (P =.03). The response to treatment was significantly better in the CD10(+) group than in the CD10(-) group (P =.02). An analysis of survival rates showed a trend for a longer overall survival duration in the CD10(+) group compared with the CD10(-) group, although this was not statistically significant (P =.05).

CONCLUSIONS

We propose that more than half of primary intestinal large B-cell lymphomas have a germinal center cell origin. We also suggest that CD10 expression may be a prognostic indicator in patients with primary intestinal large B-cell lymphomas.