Identification of Common Germinal-Center B-Cell Precursors in Two Patients with Both Hodgkin's Disease and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Abstract

In two patients with classic Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma, we identified a common B-cell precursor, probably a germinal-center B-cell, for both lymphomas. This finding suggests that the two types of lymphoma underwent both shared and distinct transforming events and provides proof of the B-cell derivation of Reed-Sternberg cells in classic Hodgkin's disease.