Z-138 cell line was derived from a patient with blastoid variant mantle cell lymphoma

The Z-138 cell line, reported in the journal in 1998, was derived from a patient who developed a leukemia initially classified as chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 1987. Splenectomy for massive involvement was required in 1998 and the neoplasm subsequently transformed to an aggressive, mature B-cell leukemia 2 years later. At time of transformation, the neoplasm had a complex karyotype, including the t(11;14)(q13;q32). In light of the extensive updates in lymphoma classification that have occurred since that time, we reviewed the slides of the patient's neoplasm. The initial peripheral blood and bone marrow aspirate smears and the spleen were involved by numerous small lymphocytes with mature chromatin. The last bone marrow specimen was involved by slightly larger, irregular lymphocytes with immature chromatin and a high mitotic rate. Immunohistochemical analysis performed on the spleen and last bone marrow for this report showed that the neoplastic cells over-expressed cyclin D1. According to the criteria of the current World Health Organization lymphoma classification, this neoplasm is best classified as mantle cell lymphoma, with blastoid transformation present in the terminal phase of disease.