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Updated: Jun 25, 2026
Immunoglobulin Gene Sequence Analysis In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: From Patient Material To Sequence Interpretation
Published on: November 26, 2018
Spontaneous high-titered IgG antibody responses against BCL-2 in patients with aggressive lymphomas
Carsten Zwick1, Gerhard Held, Vera Hammermeister
1Innere Medizin I, Jose-Carreras Center for Immuno- and Genetherapy, Saarland University Medical School Homburg, 66421 Homburg, Saar, Germany. carsten.zwick@uniklinikum-saarland.de
Purpose:
Molecules which are exclusively or preferentially expressed by malignant cells are potential targets for immunotherapeutic approaches to the treatment of cancer.
Methods:
We therefore tested serum samples of 95 patients with aggressive B-cell lymphomas for antibodies against lymphoma-associated molecules using SEREX for antibodies against BCL-2, BCL-XL, MCL-1, survivin, BCL-6, CD20, LM02, PDE4B, cyclin-D2, actinin-alpha1, SCYA3, PKCbeta2, E2IG3, and HGAL.
Results:
One patient had low-titered (1:100) antibodies against PKCbeta2. Antibodies against BCL-2 were detected in the sera of five patients (5.3%), with responses found more frequently in follicular lymphoma grade 3 (3/26 or 11.5%) than in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (2/67 or 3%). Anti-BCL-2 antibodies were of the IgG class and titers ranged from 1:1,000 to 1:100,000 with highest titers before treatment and decreasing slowly during remission.
Conclusion:
The spontaneous immunogenicity of BCL-2 makes this molecule a prime candidate for vaccine approaches in BCL-2 positive B-cell lymphomas.
