Extra

Summary

CD79b is a pan-B-cell marker expressed from their early commitment to B-cell lineage becoming lost during plasma cell differentiation; CD79b may be used as marker of B-cel lineage, but its more variable expression make it less useful than CD79a or CD19 in this context

The major diagnostic value of CD79b is its characteristically weak-expression in CLL

Normal expression and function

The forma of CD79 molecules (CD79a and CD79b) associate directly with the immunoglobulin chains controlling signalling from the B-cell receptor. Expression of both CD79a and CD79b is therefore acquired at early b-lymphocyte formation, initially in cytoplasm then membrane and persists until plasma cell differentiation. However, while both CD79a and CD79b may be considered pan B-cell antigens, expression of CD79b is acquired later and is lost earlier than for CD79a.

Diagnostic role

• The most useful attribute of CD79b in diagnosis is its variable intensity of expression by neoplastic cells - in particular the weak intensity of expression of CD79b is often used as a diagnostic criteria for CLL

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SUMMARY TABLES

Note The colour and % refer to the proportion of cases expressing the marker. Additional comments on strength, or site of expression (if relevant) are given below the table. For full details of key click here. For further information about a particular disease state click <I> adjacent to the condition name

Expression in primitive cell types
AML	CMML	B ALL	Burkitt	T ALL	ETP ALL <I>	MPAL <I>	Hgns <I>
? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%

Notes: xxxxx

Expression in mature B cell neoplasms
CLL	MCL	FL	MZL	HCL	DLBCL	LPL	PCL
? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%

Notes: xxxxx

Expression in mature T cell neoplasms*
ATLL	CTCL/Sezary	T-PLL	T-LGL	NK-LGL
? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%	? <5% 5-20% 20-40% 40-80% 80-100%

Notes: xxxxx

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