Marginal-Zone Lymphomas

To the Editor: Rossi et al. (Feb. 10 issue)(1) rightly report that marginal-zone lymphomas (MZLs) include immunoproliferative small intestinal disease (IPSID), a form of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. However, in the diagnosis section of their article, the authors state that there are no diagnostic biomarkers for MZLs. I have a concern regarding this statement. There is, indeed, a diagnostic biomarker for IPSID, an MZL previously also known as alpha-heavy chain disease (alpha-CD) or Mediterranean lymphoma; that biomarker is the alpha-CD protein known as pathological immunoglobulin A.(2,3) Alpha-CD protein can be detected in serum, urine, saliva, intestinal secretions, and plasma cells in . . .

Automated summary

This letter addresses a concern regarding the statement made by the authors in an article that there are no diagnostic biomarkers for marginal-zone lymphomas (MZLs). The author highlights the existence of a diagnostic biomarker, the alpha-CD protein, specifically for immunoproliferative small intestinal disease (IPSID), a form of MZL previously known as alpha-heavy chain disease or Mediterranean lymphoma.