Plasmablastic lymphoma: current knowledge and future directions

Ji-Wei Li1, Hong-Ling Peng2, Xiao-Yan Zhou3,4,5

  • 1Department of Oncology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.

Frontiers in Immunology
|February 28, 2024
PubMed

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is an aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma associated with HIV infection and immunodeficiency. However, PBL can also be seen immunocompetent individuals in recent studies. PBL was characterized by distinct clinical and pathological features, such as plasmablastic morphology and universal expression of plasma cell markers. The clinicopathologic features were different between HIV-negative and HIV-positive patients. Gene expression analysis identified the unique molecular feature in PBL, including frequent c-MYC rearrangement and downregulation of BCR signaling pathway. Despite the recent advances in the treatment of PBL, the prognosis of PBL patients remains dismal. The objectives of this review are to summarize the current knowledge on the epidemiology, molecular profiles, clinical and pathological features, differential diagnosis, treatment strategies, prognostic factors, and potential novel therapeutic approaches in PBL patients.

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