Imaging mass spectrometry analysis for follicular lymphoma grading.

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the second most common non-Hodgkins lymphoma in the United States. While the current diagnosis depends heavily on the review of H&E-stained tissues, additional sources of information such as IHC are occasionally needed. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) can be used to generate protein profiles from localized tissue regions, thus making it possible to relate changes in tissue histology to the changes in the protein signature of the tissue. It may be possible to determine potential biomarkers that can indicate disease state and prognosis based on the protein profile. This research aims to combine two different but related types of data in order to develop a unique diagnosis methodology that can potentially improve the accuracy of diagnosis. Preliminary analysis has shown promising results for distinguishing intrafollicle regions from the mantle and follicle zones in normal tissue.