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Arjan Diepstra
dr.

As a hematopathologist, I work on diagnostics of all types of hematological malignancies using a comprehensive panel of different techniques. Moreover, my main research interest involves Hodgkin lymphoma, with a strong focus on interactions between tumor cells and the microenvironment. In addition, I also have a long standing interest in genetic susceptibility. My areas of expertise are: immunology, tumor cell biology, genetic association studies and molecular diagnostics in pathology. I actively participate in international (EORTC) and national (HOVON) clinical trials.

Dynamics of circulating tumour DNA in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients
Published in: British Journal of Haematology
Access to document 10.1111/bjh.70296 document
The response to salvage chemotherapy in relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is poor, and data on circulating tumour deoxyribonucleic acid (ctDNA) in this setting are limited. We evaluated ctDNA dynamics in 29 patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL who received platinum-based salvage chemotherapy at the University Medical Center Groningen. In total, 124 plasma samples were analysed using low-coverage whole-genome sequencing to detect copy number alterations (CNAs) and targeted sequencing with a 115-gene panel for single- and multi-nucleotide variants (SNVs/MNVs). The complete response rate at the end...
Yujie Zhong, Johanna Bult, Nick Veltmaat, Filipe Montes de Jesus, Laurens Sillje, Joost Kluiver, Anke van den Berg, Wouter Plattel, Arjan Diepstra, Marcel Nijland
Superior survival in diffuse large B cell lymphoma of the bone with immune rich tumor microenvironment
Published in: Blood cancer journal
Access to document 10.1038/s41408-025-01291-z document
With tumor genomic and gene-expression profiling (GEP), this study investigated the immune-molecular signatures of a unique cohort of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the bone (bone-DLBCL), including primary bone (PB-DLBCL, n = 52) and polyostotic-DLBCL (n = 20), in comparison to nodal DLBCLs with germinal center B-cell (GCB) phenotype (nodal-DLBCL-GCB, n = 34). PB-DLBCL and polyostotic-DLBCL shared similar genomic profiles and transcriptomic signatures, justifying their collective analysis as bone-DLBCL. Differential incidences of EZH2, HIST1H1E, and MYC aberrations (p < 0.05) confirmed the distinct oncogenic evolution between bone-DLBCL and...
Ruben A.L. de Groen, Fleur A. de Groot, Stefan Böhringer, Esther J. Kret, Lorraine M. de Haan, Troy Noordenbos, Susan Blommers, Romée E.W. Jansen, Tom van Wezel, Ronald van Eijk, Richard Raghoo, Dina Ruano, Liane te Boome, Valeska Terpstra, Henriette Levenga, Els Ahsmann, Eduardus F.M. Posthuma, Isabelle Focke-Snieders, Lizan Hardi, Wietske C.E. den HartogAnke van den Berg, Pim Mutsaers, King Lam, Marjolein W.M. van der Poel, Myrurgia Abdul Hamid, F. J.Sherida H. Woei-A-Jin, Ann Janssens, Thomas Tousseyn, Judith V.M.G. Bovée, Lianne Koens, Arjan Diepstra, Arjen H.G. Cleven, Marie José Kersten, Patty M. Jansen, Hendrik Veelken, Marcel Nijland, Tim J.A. Dekker, Joost S.P. Vermaat
Overlapping macrophage immune profiles in polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis
Published in: Rheumatology (Oxford, England)
Access to document 10.1093/rheumatology/keaf629
OBJECTIVE: Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) are closely related chronic inflammatory diseases in which macrophages play a central role in the pathogenesis. This study compared macrophage-related immune profiles in subacromial bursal tissues affected by PMR and temporal arteries affected by GCA to identify shared therapeutic targets. METHODS: Subacromial bursa biopsies (SABBs) were obtained from patients with active PMR (n = 11). Temporal artery biopsies (TABs) were collected from 14 patients with GCA. Immunohistochemical staining was performed for macrophage markers [CD68, CD64, CD86, CD206 and folate receptor (FR)...
Anqi Zhang, William F Jiemy, Yannick van Sleen, Shuang Xu, Maria Sandovici, Wayel H Abdulahad, Arjan Diepstra, Sandra Hein, Jacoba C Graver, Peter Heeringa, Bhaskar Dasgupta, Elisabeth Brouwer, Kornelis S M van der Geest
Whole-body CD8+ T-cell PET imaging in patients with large B-cell lymphoma before and during CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy: a phase 2 study.
Published in: Nature Communications
Access to document 10.1038/s41467-025-66767-9 document
Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CART) has revolutionized the treatment of patients with refractory/relapsed large B-cell lymphoma (R/R LBCL). Limited biopsy data indicate that a higher activated CD8 + T-cell density is associated with tumor response. However, tumor biopsies fail to capture the systemic kinetics of CD8 + T-cells. Therefore, we conducted an exploratory phase 2 single-arm trial utilizing a zirconium-89-labeled one-armed anti-CD8α antibody ( 89ZED88082A) to enable whole-body imaging of CD8 + T-cells through positron emission tomography (PET) (NL9034; EUCTR2020-004749-35-NL). Imaging analysis was performed in 23 patients...
Janneke W de Boer, Kylie Keijzer, Jaap A van Doesum, Nienke A M Smit, Adrienne H Brouwers, Joyce van Sluis, Marjolijn N Lub-de Hooge, Frank R Pierik, Gerwin A Huls, Lisanne V van Dijk, Lydia Visser, Arjan Diepstra, Walter Noordzij, Simon P Williams, Alexander Ungewickell, Sjoerd G Elias, Elisabeth G E de Vries, Anne G H Niezink, Tom van Meerten
MATRix and HD-MTX/IFO/DEP treatment and autologous stem cell transplantation in secondary central nervous system lymphoma: a Dutch retrospective analysis
Published in: Haematologica
Access to document 10.3324/haematol.2025.287485 document
Fleur A De Groot, Floriske G Stedema, Esther J Kret, Lorraine M De Haan, Patty M Jansen, Stefan Böhringer, Arjan Diepstra, Marjolein W M Van der Poel, Myrurgia Abdul Hamid, Liane C J Te Boome, Valeska Terpstra, Mirian Brink, Hendrik Veelken, Ruben A L De Groen, Tim J A Dekker, Marcel Nijland, Joost S P Vermaat