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

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

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.

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).

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.