Rituximab and its role as maintenance therapy in non-Hodgkin lymphoma

References

• Horning SJ. Natural history of and therapy for the indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. Semin. Oncol.20(Suppl. 5), 75–88 (1993).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Marcus R, Imrie K, Belch A et al. CVP chemotherapy plus rituximab compared with CVP as first-line treatment for advanced follicular lymphoma. Blood105(4), 1417–1423 (2005).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ghielmini M, Schmitz SF, Cogliatti SB et al. Prolonged treatment with rituximab in patients with follicular lymphoma significantly increases event-free survival and response duration compared with the standard weekly × 4 schedule. Blood103(12), 4416–4423 (2004).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hochster HS, Weller E, Gascoyne RD et al. Maintenance rituximab after CVP results in superior clinical outcome in advanced follicular lymphoma (FL): Results of the E1496 Phase III Trial from the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and the Cancer and Leukemia Group B. Blood106(11), A106 (2005) (Abstract 349).
   Google Scholar
• Hiddemann W, Forstpointner R, Dreyling M et al. Rituximab maintenance following a rituximab containing chemotherapy significantly prolongs the duration of response in patients with relapsed follicular and mantle cell lymphomas: results of a prospective randomized trial of the German Low Grade Lymphoma Study Group (GLSG). Proceedings of the 41st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Orlando, FL, USA (2005) (Abstract 6527).
   Google Scholar
• Forstpointner R, Unterhalt M, Dreyling M et al. Maintenance therapy with rituximab leads to a significant prolongation of response duration after salvage therapy with a combination of rituximab, fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and mitoxantrone (R-FCM) in patients with recurring and refractory follicular and mantle cell lymphomas: results of a prospective randomized study of the German Low Grade Lymphoma Study Group (GLSG). Blood108(13), 4003–4008 (2006).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Van Oers MHJ, Van Glabbeke M, Teodorovic I et al. Chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (rituximab; MabThera®) in remission induction and maintenance therapy of relapsed/resistant follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: final analysis of a Phase III randomized intergroup clinical trial. Blood106(11), A107 (2005) (Abstract 353).
   Google Scholar
• van Oers MH, Klasa R, Marcus RE et al. Rituximab maintenance improves clinical outcome of relapsed/resistant follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, both in patients with and without rituximab during induction: results of a prospective randomized Phase III intergroup trial. Blood108(10), 3295–3301 (2006).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Coiffier B, Lepage E, Briere J et al. CHOP chemotherapy plus rituximab compared with CHOP alone in elderly patients with diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma. N. Engl J. Med.346, 235–242 (2002).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Feugier P, Van Hoof A, Sebban C et al. Long-term results of the R-CHOP study in the treatment of elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a study by the Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes de l’Adulte. J. Clin. Oncol.23(18), 4117–4126 (2005).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Pfreundschuh M, Trumper L, Osterborg A et al. CHOP-like chemotherapy plus rituximab versus CHOP-like chemotherapy alone in young patients with good-prognosis diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma: a randomised controlled trial by the MabThera International Trial (MInT) Group. Lancet Oncol.7(5), 379–391 (2006).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hiddemann W, Kneba M, Dreyling M et al. Frontline therapy with rituximab added to the combination of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) significantly improves the outcome for patients with advanced-stage follicular lymphoma compared with therapy with CHOP alone: results of a prospective randomized study of the German Low-Grade Lymphoma Study Group. Blood106(12), 3725–3732 (2005).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Nadler LM, Stashenko P, Hardy R et al. Serotherapy of a patient with a monoclonal antibody directed against a human lymphoma-associated antigen. Cancer Res.40(9), 3147–3154 (1980).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Lalayanni C, Stavroyianni N, Saloum R et al. Rituximab is effective for selected patients with chronic steroid refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Hematology9(4), 287–289 (2004).
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Silverman GJ, Weisman S. Rituximab therapy and autoimmune disorders: prospects for anti-B cell therapy. Arthritis Rheum.48(6), 1484–1492 (2003).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• De Vita S, Zaja F, Sacco S et al. Efficacy of selective B cell blockade in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: evidence for a pathogenetic role of B cell. Arthritis Rheum.46(8), 2029–2033 (2002).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Leandro MJ, Edwards JC, Cambridge G. Clinical outcome in 22 patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with B lymphocyte depletion. Ann. Rheum. Dis.61(10), 883–888 (2002).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Pestronk A, Florence J, Miller T et al. Treatment of IgM antibody associated polyneuropathies using rituximab. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr.74(4), 485–489 (2003).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Anolik J, Sanz I, Looney RJ. B cell depletion therapy in systemic lupus erythematous. Curr. Rheumatol. Rep.5(5), 350–356 (2003).
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Santos ES, Arosemena LR, Raez LE, O’Brien C, Regev A. Successful treatment of autoimmune hepatitis and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura with the monoclonal antibody, rituximab: case report and review of literature. Liver Int.26(5), 625–629 (2006).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Zaja F, De Vita S, Mazzaro C et al. Efficacy and safety of rituximab in type II mixed cryoglobulinemia. Blood101(10), 3827–3834 (2003).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• McLaughlin P, Grillo-Lopez AJ, Link BK et al. Rituximab chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody therapy for relapsed indolent lymphoma: half of patients respond to a four-dose treatment program. J. Clin. Oncol.16(8), 2825–2833 (1998).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Habermann TM, Weller EA, Morrison VA et al. Rituximab-CHOP versus CHOP alone or with maintenance rituximab in older patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. J. Clin. Oncol.24(19), 3121–3127 (2006).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Rohatiner AZ, Gregory WM, Peterson B et al. Meta-analysis to evaluate the role of interferon in follicular lymphoma. J. Clin. Oncol.23(10), 2215–2223 (2005).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hainsworth JD, Burris HA III, Morrissey LH et al. Rituximab monoclonal antibody as initial systemic therapy for patients with low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Blood95(10), 3052–3056 (2000).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hainsworth JD, Litchy S, Burris HA 3rd et al. Rituximab as first-line and maintenance therapy for patients with indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. J. Clin. Oncol.20(20), 4261–4267 (2002).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hainsworth JD, Litchy S, Shaffer DW et al. Maximizing therapeutic benefit of rituximab: maintenance therapy versus re-treatment at progression in patients with indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma – a randomized Phase II trial of the Minnie Pearl Cancer Research Network. J. Clin. Oncol.23(6), 1088–1095 (2005).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Neumann F, Harmsen S, Martin S et al. Rituximab long-term maintenance therapy after autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Ann. Hematol.85(8), 530–534 (2006).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Morschhauser F, Recher C, Galoin S et al. Multicenter Phase II trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rituximab in patients suffering from follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (FNHL) with residual minimal disease after autologous transplantationof hematopoietic stem cell (M39012 trial). Proc. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol.21, A267 (2002).
   Google Scholar
• Brugger W, Hirsch J, Grunebach F et al. Rituximab consolidation after high-dose chemotherapy and autologous blood stem cell transplantation in follicular and mantle cell lymphoma: a prospective, multicenter Phase II study. Ann. Oncol.15(11), 1691–1698 (2004).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Buckstein RJ, Imrie KR, Spaner D et al. Autologous stem cell transplants combined with rituximab for relapsed follicular lymphoma achieve prolonged clinical and molecular remissions. Blood98(11), A680 (2001) (Abstract 2846) .
   Google Scholar
• Haioun C, Mounier N, Emile JF et al. Rituximab vs observation after high-dose consolidative first-line chemotherapy (HDC) with autologous stem cell transplantation in poor risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Final Analysis of the LNH98-B3 GELA Study. Blood106(11), A200 (2005) (Abstract 677).
   Google Scholar
• Horwitz SM, Negrin RS, Blume KG et al. Rituximab as adjuvant to high-dose therapy and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Blood103(3), 777–783 (2004).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Einfeld D, Brown J, Valentine M et al. Molecular cloning of the human B cell CD20 receptor predicts a hydrophobic protein with multiple transmembrane domains. EMBO J.7(3), 711–717 (1988).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Stashenko P, Nadler LM, Hardy R, Schlossman SF. Characterization of a human B lymphocyte-specific antigen. J. Immunol.125(4), 1678–1685 (1980).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Tedder TF, Boyd AW, Freedman AS, Nadler LM, Schlossman SF. The B cell surface molecule B1 is functionally linked with B cell activation and differentiation. J. Immunol.135(2), 973–979 (1985).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Press OW, Appelbaum F, Ledbetter JA et al. Monoclonal antibody 1F5 (anti-CD20) serotherapy of human B cell lymphomas. Blood69(2), 594–591 (1987).
   Google Scholar
• Sieber T, Schoeler D, Ringel F, Pascu M, Schriever F. Selective internalization of monoclonal antibodies by B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. Br. J. Haematol.121(3), 458–461 (2003).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ghielmini M, Rufibach K, Salles G et al. Single agent rituximab in patients with follicular or mantle cell lymphoma: clinical and biological factors that are predictive of response and event-free survival as well as the effect of rituximab on the immune system: a study of the Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK). Ann. Oncol.16(10), 1675–1682 (2005).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Colnaghi MI. Generation of monoclonal antibodies for in vivo approaches. Int. J. Rad. Appl. Instrum. B.18(1), 15–18 (1991).
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Meeker TC, Lowder J, Maloney DG et al. A clinical trial of anti-idiotype therapy for B-cell malignancy. Blood65(6), 1349–1363 (1985).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Brown SL, Miller RA, Homing SJ et al. Treatment of B-cell lymphomas with anti-idiotype antibodies alone and in combination with α interferon. Blood73(3), 651–661 (1989).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Cartron G, Dacheux L, Salles G et al. Therapeutic activity of humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody and polymorphism in IgG Fc receptor FcγRIIIa gene. Blood99(3), 754–758 (2002).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• LoBuglio AF, Wheeler RH, Trang J et al. Mouse/human chimeric monoclonal antibody in man: kinetics and immune response. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA86(11), 4220–4224 (1989).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Liu AY, Robinson RR, Murray ED Jr, Ledbetter JA, Hellstrom I, Hellstrom KE. Production of a mouse-human chimeric monoclonal antibody to CD20 with potent Fc-dependent biologic activity. J. Immunol.139(10), 3521–3526 (1987).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Maloney DG, Grillo-Lopez AJ, Bodkin D et al. Phase I clinical trial using escalating single-dose infusion of chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (IDEC-C2B8) in patients with recurrent B-cell lymphoma. Blood84(8), 2457–2466 (1994).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Berinstein NL, Grillo-Lopez AJ, White CA et al. Association of serum rituximab (IDEC-C2B8) concentration and anti-tumor response in the treatment of recurrent low-grade or follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Ann. Oncol.9(9), 995–1001 (1998).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Maloney DG, Grillo-Lopez AJ, Bodkin D et al. IDEC-C2B8: Rresults of a Phase I multi-dose trial in patients with relapsed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. J. Clin. Oncol.15(10), 3266–3274 (1997).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Nadler LM, Ritz J, Hardy R, Pesando JM, Schlossman SF, Stashenko P. A unique cell surface antigen identifying lymphoid malignancies of B cell origin. J. Clin. Invest.67(1), 134–140 (1981).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Tedder TF, Engel P. CD20: a regulator of cell-cycle progression of B lymphocytes. Immunol. Today15(9), 450–454 (1994).
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Anderson KC, Bates MP, Slaughenhoupt BL, Pinkus GS, Schlossman SF, Nadler LM. Expression of human B cell-associated antigens on leukemias and lymphomas: a model of human B cell differentiation. Blood63(6), 1424–1433 (1984).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Coiffier BLE, Herbrecht R, Tilly H et al. MABTHERA (rituximab) plus CHOP is superior to CHOP alone in elderely patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLCL): interim results of a randomized GELA trial. Blood96, A223 (2000) (Abstract 950).
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Chow KU, Sommerlad WD, Boehrer S et al. Anti-CD20 antibody (IDEC-C2B8, rituximab) enhances efficacy of cytotoxic drugs on neoplastic lymphocytes in vitro: role of cytokines, complement, and caspases. Haematologica87(1), 33–43 (2002).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Maloney DG, Smith B, Rose A. Rituximab: mechanism of action and resistance. Semin Oncol.29(1 Suppl. 2), 2–9 (2002).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Johnson P, Glennie M. The mechanisms of action of rituximab in the elimination of tumor cells. Semin. Oncol.30(1 Suppl. 2), 3–8 (2003).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Shan D, Ledbetter JA, Press OW. Signaling events involved in anti-CD20-induced apoptosis of malignant human B cells. Cancer Immunol. Immunother.48(12), 673–683 (2000).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kim DH, Jung HD, Kim JG et al. FcγRIIIa gene polymorphisms may correlate with response to frontline RCHOP therapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Blood108(8), 2720–2725 (2006).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Clynes RA, Towers TL, Presta LG, Ravetch JV. Inhibitory Fc receptors modulate in vivo cytotoxicity against tumor targets. Nat. Med.6(4), 443–446 (2000).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Koene HR, Kleijer M, Algra J et al. FcγRIIIa-158V/F polymorphism influences the binding of IgG by natural killer cell Fc γRIIIa, independently of the FcγRIIIa-48L/R/H phenotype. Blood90(3), 1109–1114 (1997).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Golay JT, Crawford DH. Pathways of human B-lymphocyte activation blocked by B-cell specific monoclonal antibodies. Immunology62(2), 279–284 (1987).
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Tedder TF, Forsgren A, Boyd AW, Nadler LM, Schlossman SF. Antibodies reactive with the B1 molecule inhibit cell cycle progression but not activation of human B lymphocytes. Eur. J. Immunol.16(8), 881–887 (1986).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Deans JP, Robbins SM, Polyak MJ, Savage JA. Rapid redistribution of CD20 to a low density detergent-insoluble membrane compartment. J. Biol. Chem.273(1), 344–348 (1998).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Shan D, Ledbetter JA, Press OW. Apoptosis of malignant human B cells by ligation of CD20 with monoclonal antibodies. Blood91(5), 1644–1652 (1998).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hofmeister JK, Cooney D, Coggeshall KM. Clustered CD20 induced apoptosis: Src-family kinase, the proximal regulator of tyrosine phosphorylation, calcium influx, and caspase 3-dependent apoptosis. Blood Cells Mol. Dis.26(2), 133–143 (2000).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Alas S, Emmanouilides C, Bonavida B. Inhibition of interleukin 10 by rituximab results in down-regulation of bcl-2 and sensitization of B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma to apoptosis. Clin. Cancer Res.7(3), 709–723 (2001).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Alas S, Bonavida B. Rituximab inactivates signal transducer and activation of transcription 3 (STAT3) activity in B-non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma through inhibition of the interleukin 10 autocrine/paracrine loop and results in down-regulation of Bcl--2 and sensitization to cytotoxic drugs. Cancer Res.61(13), 5137–5144 (2001).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Reff ME, Carner K, Chambers KS et al. Depletion of B cells in vivo by a chimeric mouse human monoclonal antibody to CD20. Blood83(2), 435–445 (1994).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Harjunpaa A, Junnikkala S, Meri S. Rituximab (anti-CD20) therapy of B-cell lymphomas: direct complement killing is superior to cellular effector mechanisms. Scand. J. Immunol.51(6), 634–641 (2000).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Flieger D, Renoth S, Beier I, Sauerbruch T, Schmidt-Wolf I. Mechanism of cytotoxicity induced by chimeric mouse human monoclonal antibody IDEC-C2B8 in CD20-expressing lymphoma cell lines. Cell Immunol.204(1), 55–63 (2000).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Davis TA, Grillo-Lopez AJ, White CA et al. Rituximab anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody therapy in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: Safety and efficacy of retreatment. J. Clin. Oncol.18(17), 3135–3143 (2000).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Davis TA, Czerwinski DK, Levy R. Therapy of B-cell lymphoma with anti-CD20 antibodies can result in the loss of CD20 antigen expression. Clin. Cancer Res.5(3), 611–615 (1999).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hatjiharissi E, Santos DD, Xu L et al. Individuals expressing FcγRIIIA-158 V/V show increased NK cell surface expression of FcgRIIIA (CD16), rituximab binding, and demonstrate higher levels of ADCC activity in response to rituximab. Blood106(11), A229 (2005) (Abstract 776).
   Google Scholar
• van Meerten T, van Rijn RS, Hol S, Hagenbeek A, Ebeling SB. Complement-induced cell death by rituximab depends on CD20 expression level and acts complementary to antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Clin. Cancer Res.12(13), 4027–4035 (2006).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Terui Y, Mishima Y, Mishima Y et al. Point mutation of C-terminal region of CD20 molecule predicts rituximab-induced complement-dependent cytotoxicity and clinical response to rituximab in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Proceedings of the 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Atlanta, GA, USA (2006) (Abstract 7563).
   Google Scholar
• Racila E, Weng W-K, Wooldridge JE, Link BK, Levy R, Weiner GJ. A polymorphism in the C1qA component of complement correlates with prolonged complete remission following rituximab therapy of follicular lymphoma. Blood106(11), A229 (2005) (Abstract 778).
   Google Scholar
• Wiseman GA, White CA, Stabin M et al. Phase I/II 90Y-zevalin (yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan, IDEC-Y2B8) radioimmunotherapy dosimetry results in relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Eur. J. Nucl. Med.27(7), 766–777 (2000).
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Witzig TE, Flinn IW, Gordon LI et al. Treatment with ibritumomab tiuxetan radioimmunotherapy in patients with rituximab-refractory follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. J. Clin. Oncol.20(15), 3262–3269 (2002).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Cardarelli PM, Quinn M, Buckman D et al. Binding to CD20 by anti-B1 antibody or F(ab´)(2) is sufficient for induction of apoptosis in B-cell lines. Cancer Immunol. Immunother.51(1), 15–24 (2002).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Horning SJ, Younes A, Jain V et al. Efficacy and safety of tositumomab and iodine-131 tositumomab (Bexxar) in B-cell lymphoma, progressive after rituximab. J. Clin. Oncol.23(4), 712–719 (2005).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Leahy MF, Seymour JF, Hicks RJ, Harvey Turner J. Multicenter Phase II clinical study of iodine-131–rituximab radioimmunotherapy in relapsed or refractory indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. J. Clin. Oncol.24(27), 4418–4425 (2006).
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Piro LD, White CA, Grillo-Lopez AJ et al. Extended rituximab (anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody) therapy for relapsed or refractory low-grade or follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Ann. Oncol.10(6), 655–661 (1999).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Colombat P, Salles G, Brousse N et al. Rituximab (anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody) as single first-line therapy for patients with follicular lymphoma with a low tumor burden: clinical and molecular evaluation. Blood97(1), 101–106 (2001).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Solal-Celigny P, Salles GA, Brousse N et al. Single 4-dose rituximab treatment for low-tumor burden follicular lymphoma (FL): survival analyses with follow-up (F/Up) of at least 5 years. Blood104(11), A169 (2004) (Abstract 585).
   Google Scholar
• Hainsworth JD, Meng C, Spigel DR et al. Long-term follow up of patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) treated with two years of maintenance rituximab: response to rituximab retreatment at progression. Blood108(11), B263 (2006) (Abstract 4723).
   Google Scholar
• Solal-Celigny P. Safety of rituximab maintenance therapy in follicular lymphoma. Leuk. Res.30(Suppl. 1), S16–S21 (2006).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Sehn LH, Donaldson J, Filewich A et al. Rapid infusion rituximab in combination with corticosteroid containing chemotherapy or as maintenance therapy is well tolerated and can safely be delivered in the community setting. Blood (2007) (Epub ahead of print).
   Google Scholar
• Czuczman MS, Grillo-Lopez AJ, White CA et al. Treatment of patients with low-grade B-cell lymphoma with the combination of chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody and CHOP chemotherapy. J. Clin. Oncol.17(1), 268–276 (1999).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Physician’s Desk Reference, 60 Edition. Thompson PDR, Montvale, NJ, USA, 1251–1254 (2006).
   Google Scholar
• Cattaneo C, Spedini P, Casari S et al. Delayed-onset peripheral blood cytopenia after rituximab: frequency and risk factor assessment in a consecutive series of 77 treatments. Leuk. Lymphoma47(6), 1013–1017 (2006).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Nitta E, Izutsu K, Sato T et al. A high incidence of late-onset neutropenia following rituximab-containing chemotherapy as a primary treatment of CD20-positive B-cell lymphoma: a single-institution study. Ann. Oncol. (2006) (Epub ahead of print).
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Coiffier B, Haioun C, Ketterer N et al. Rituximab (anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody) for the treatment of patients with relapsing or refractory aggressive lymphoma: a multicenter Phase II study. Blood92(6), 1927–1932 (1998).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Maturi B, Mikhael JR, Dunlop WCN, Tilden DT. Maintenance therapy with rituximab for follicular lymphoma is cost-effective Canadian Perspective. Blood108(11), A106 (2006) (Abstract 343).
   Google Scholar
• Leppa S, Linna M, Nyman H, Taimela E. Cost–effectiveness of rituximab maintenance treatment versus autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients with relapsed follicular lymphoma (FL). Blood108(11), A952 (2006) (Abstract 3337).
   Google Scholar
• Dreyling MH, Forstpointner R, Boeck H-P et al. Combined immunochemo-therapy followed by rituximab maintenance is an effective salvage treatment after prior rituximab containing therapy: results of a GLSG-subgroup analysis in patients with relapsed indolent lymphoma. Blood108(11), A784 (2006) (Abstract 2769).
   Google Scholar
• Ghielmini M. Patient benefits of maintenance therapy. Leuk. Res.30(Suppl. 1), S22–S26 (2006).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Gascoyne RD, Adomat SA, Krajewski S et al. Prognostic significance of Bcl-2 protein expression and Bcl-2 gene rearrangement in diffuse aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Blood90(1), 244–251 (1997).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Lossos IS, Jones CD, Warnke R et al. Expression of a single gene, BCL-6, strongly predicts survival in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Blood98(4), 945–951 (2001).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Barrans SL, Carter I, Owen RG et al. Germinal center phenotype and bcl-2 expression combined with the International Prognostic Index improves patient risk stratification in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Blood99(4), 1136–1143 (2002).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Colomo L, Lopez-Guillermo A, Perales M et al. Clinical impact of the differentiation profile assessed by immunophenotyping in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Blood101(1), 78–84 (2003).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Mounier N, Briere J, Gisselbrecht C et al. Rituximab plus CHOP (R-CHOP) overcomes bcl-2-associated resistance to chemotherapy in elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Blood101(11), 4279–4284 (2003).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Chang CC, McClintock S, Cleveland RP et al. Immunohistochemical expression patterns of germinal center and activation B-cell markers correlate with prognosis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Am. J. Surg. Pathol.28(4), 464–470 (2004).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Czuczman MS, Weaver R, Alkuzweny B, Berlfein J, Grillo-Lopez AJ. Prolonged clinical and molecular remission in patients with low-grade or follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma treated with rituximab plus CHOP chemotherapy: 9-year follow-up. J. Clin. Oncol.22(23), 4711–4716 (2004).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Arcaini L, Colombo N, Bernasconi P et al. Role of molecular staging and response in the the management of follicular lymphoma patients. Leuk. Lymphoma47(6), 1018–1022 (2006).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Winter JN, Weller EA, Horning SJ et al. Prognostic significance of Bcl-6 protein expression in DLBCL treated with CHOP or R-CHOP: a prospective correlative study. Blood107(11), 4207–4213 (2006).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Leonard JP, Coleman M, Ketas J et al. Combination antibody therapy with epratuzumab and rituximab in relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. J. Clin. Oncol.23(22), 5044–5051 (2005).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Morshhauser F, Leonard JP, Coiffier B et al. Phase I/II results of a second-generation humanized anti-CD20 antibody, IMMU-106 (hA20), in NHL. Proceedings of the 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Atlanta, GA, USA (2006) (Abstract 7530).
   Google Scholar
• Leonard JP, Coleman M, Ketas JC et al. Epratuzumab, a humanized anti-CD22 antibody, in aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: Phase I/II clinical trial results. Clin. Cancer Res.10(16), 5327–5334 (2004).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Czuczman MS, Thall A, Witzig TE et al. Phase I/II study of galiximab, an anti-CD80 antibody, for relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma. J. Clin. Oncol.23(19), 4390–4398 (2005).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Strauss SJ, Morschhauser F, Rech J et al. Multicenter Phase II trial of immunotherapy with the humanized anti-CD22 antibody, epratuzumab, in combination with rituximab, in refractory or recurrent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. J. Clin. Oncol.24(24), 3880–3886 (2006).
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar