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- Title
Biomarkers of minimal residual disease in rituximab-treated patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia.
- Authors
Basile, Umberto; Gulli, Francesca; Napodano, Cecilia; Pocino, Krizia; Basile, Valerio; Marrapodi, Ramona; Colantuono, Stefania; Todi, Laura; Marino, Mariapaola; Rapaccini, Gian Ludovico; Visentini, Marcella
- Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) represents the major risk factor for mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC), a small-vessel vasculitis that may evolve into an overt B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Here, we aimed to identify a biomarker signature for the early diagnosis of minimal residual disease (MRD). We assessed free light chains (FLCs), IgM k,and IgM λ heavy/light chain (HLC) pairs, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in sera from 34 patients with MC vasculitis (32 HCV- and 2 HBV-related), treated with low-dose rituximab (RTX). FLCs and IgM HLCs were measured by turbidimetric assay; VEGF by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. After RTX, the positive (complete + partial) clinical and laboratory responses were of 85.29% and 50%, respectively; in contrast, the mean levels of FLCs, IgM HLCs, and VEGF were substantially unaffected in most patients and still above the normal range. In those achieving a reduction of FLCs and IgM k and λ chains values within the range of normality, we found that post-treatment free λ chains and IgM k values correlated with clinical and laboratory response. Our results suggest that high levels of FLCs, IgM HLCs, and VEGF could represent the signature of "dormant" B cell clones' activity that could be very useful to identify MRD indicative of possible relapse or worsening outcome.
- Subjects
RITUXIMAB; IMMUNOGLOBULIN M; VASCULAR endothelial growth factors; CRYOGLOBULINEMIA; NON-Hodgkin's lymphoma; BIOMARKERS; ENZYME-linked immunosorbent assay
- Publication
Biotechnology & Applied Biochemistry, 2021, Vol 68, Issue 2, p319
- ISSN
0885-4513
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/bab.1929