Unlock the Cell: Castleman's Disease Flow Cytometry Study

This is a University of Pennsylvania-sponsored project that is supported by the Castleman
Disease Collaborative Network and the patients/loved one's group Castleman's Warriors
(Castleman's Awareness and Research Effort).

Castleman Disease (CD) is a rare and poorly understood lymphoproliferative disease. The
multicentric CD subtype (MCD) involves enlarged lymph nodes in multiple regions of the body
and can be fatal if untreated. MCD patients demonstrate acute inflammatory crisis due to
upregulation of inflammatory agents most notably IL-6 and VEGF followed by multiple organ
failure and death.

Unlock the Cell aims to identify the pathways the disease takes through flow cytometry
studies. The purpose of the CD Research study is to collect blood samples and/or buccal swabs
or saliva samples and medical information of MCD patients and compare them to control samples
so researchers can understand the causes of MCD, and design treatments based on our findings.

In this study, the investigators will analyze inflammatory markers, cells, and signaling
pathways in prospectively collected blood samples using biochemical and RT-PCR techniques,
proteomics, genomics, immunohistochemistry, storage for future use, cell culture treated with
external stimuli, flow cytometry, and other molecular tests. A secondary aim is to collect
excess stored tissue samples (e.g., lymph node, bone marrow) from previous procedures and
store these samples along with unused blood samples for future research purposes to be
performed at the University of Pennsylvania or shared with other Castleman disease
researchers and biobanks.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Person of any age with HHV8-negative, idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease, who have
negative staining for LANA-1 on lymph node biopsy

Exclusion Criteria:

- Patients without a pathology report that indicates Castleman Disease