Treatment with 5-azacytidin upregulates the expression of CD20 in CD20-negative B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A case report

摘要

We and others have shown previously that CD20 expression is associated with a worse outcome in Philadelphia chromosome-negative B cell precursor (BCP) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We have also suggested the interest of evaluating rituximab combined with chemotherapy in CD20-positive adult BCP-ALL [1-3]. Another study in pediatric BCP-ALL showed that CD20 ' was frequently upregulated during induction chemotherapy, rendering blast cells more sensitive to rituximab [4]. Modulation of CD20 protein expression has also been reported in B cell lymphoma cells from patients repeatedly pretreated with rituximab-containing chemotherapy.