Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin's lymphoma (NLPHL) is a form of lymphoma

Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...

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It is no longer classified as a form of classic Hodgkin's lymphoma

Hodgkin's lymphoma

Hodgkin's lymphoma, previously known as Hodgkin's disease, is a type of lymphoma, which is a cancer originating from white blood cells called lymphocytes...

 (HL). This is because the Reed-Sternberg Cell (RSC) variants (popcorn cells) that characterize this form of the disease invariably express B lymphocyte markers such as CD20 (thus making NLPHL an unusual form of B cell lymphoma), and that (unlike classic HL) NLPHL may progress to diffuse large B cell lymphoma

B-cell lymphoma

The B-cell lymphomas are types of lymphoma affecting B cells. Lymphomas are "blood cancers" in the lymph glands. They develop more frequently in older adults and in immunocompromised individuals ....

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There are small but clear differences in prognosis between the various forms. Lymphocyte predominant HL is an uncommon subtype composed of vague nodules of numerous reactive lymphocytes admixed with large popcorn-shaped RSC. Unlike classic RSC, the non-classic popcorn-shaped RS cells of NLPHL are CD15

CD15

CD15 is a cluster of differentiation antigen - an immunologically significant molecule. CD15 is a carbohydrate adhesion molecule that can be expressed on glycoproteins, glycolipids and proteoglycans.- Function :...

 and CD30

CD30

CD30, also known as TNFRSF8, is a cell membrane protein of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family and tumor marker.This receptor is expressed by activated, but not by resting, T and B cells. TRAF2 and TRAF5 can interact with this receptor, and mediate the signal transduction that leads to the...

 negative while positive for the B cell marker CD20

CD20

B-lymphocyte antigen CD20 or CD20 is an activated-glycosylated phosphoprotein expressed on the surface of all B-cells beginning at the pro-B phase and progressively increasing in concentration until maturity....

. The anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody Rituximab has been used in lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin's lymphoma with encouraging results.

BCL6

BCL6

B-cell lymphoma 6 protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the BCL6 gene.- Function :The protein encoded by this gene is an evolutionarily conserved zinc finger transcription factor and contains an N-terminal POZ/BTB domain...

gene rearrangements have been frequently observed.