Monitoring transformation of follicular lymphoma to diffuse large b-cell lymphoma by immune repertoire analysis

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method of prognosing in an individual a transformation from follicular lymphoma to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) by measuring changes and/or lack of changes in certain groups of related clonotypes, referred to herein as “clans,” in successive clonotype profiles of the individual. A clan may arise from a single lymphocyte progenitor that gives rise to many related lymphocyte progeny, each possessing and/or expressing a slightly different immunoglobulin receptor due to somatic mutation(s), such as base substitutions, inversions, related rearrangements resulting in common V(D)J gene segment usage, or the like. A higher likelihood of transformation from follicular lymphoma to DLBCL is correlated with the persistence of clans in successive clonotype profiles whose clonotype membership fails to undergo diversification over time.

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