| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Human Cancer Biology |
Authors' Affiliations: 1 Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine at Huddinge and 2 Division of Pathology, Department of Laboratory Medicine at Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
Requests for reprints: Björn E. Wahlin, Hematologiskt centrum, R51, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset Huddinge, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden. Phone: 46-8-5858-2539; Fax: 46-8-5858-2525; E-mail: bjorn.wahlin{at}karolinska.se.
Purpose: Follicular lymphoma is a heterogeneous disease with variable prognosis and clinical course. We hypothesized that the presence of nonmalignant T cells in the microenvironment of the tumor may affect the outcome.
Experimental Design: Using flow cytometry, we evaluated the T-cell subsets in the lymph node microenvironment of follicular lymphoma. All patients in South Stockholm County with indolent follicular lymphoma and with flow cytometry done on a diagnostic lymph node between 1994 and 2004 were included (N = 139). Diagnosis and grade (1, 2, and 3a) were confirmed by re-review. Flow cytometry results were reanalyzed. Lymphocyte subsets, the Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index, grade, and clinical characteristics were evaluated in univariable and multivariable Cox analysis with respect to overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS).
Results: Higher CD8+ T-cell levels correlated with longer OS and DSS, independently of the Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (OS, P = 0.017; DSS, P = 0.020) and independently of all other prognostic factors (OS, P = 0.001; DSS, P = 0.004). Median OS was not reached for patients in the upper quarter of CD8+ T-cell levels (>8.6%), 10.4 years for patients in the middle half (4.2-8.6%), and 6.0 years for patients in the lower quarter (<4.2%). Furthermore, patients who had not required treatment within 6 months from diagnosis had more CD8+ T cells (P = 0.011).
Conclusions: Higher levels of CD8+ T cells predict a better prognosis, and these data support an important role for nonmalignant immune cells in the biology of follicular lymphoma. Evaluating the CD8+ T cells by flow cytometry at diagnosis may provide prognostic information.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  O. J. Finn Cancer Immunology N. Engl. J. Med., June 19, 2008; 358(25): 2704 - 2715. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. J. Byers, E. Sakhinia, P. Joseph, C. Glennie, J. A. Hoyland, L. P. Menasce, J. A. Radford, and T. Illidge Clinical quantitation of immune signature in follicular lymphoma by RT-PCR-based gene expression profiling Blood, May 1, 2008; 111(9): 4764 - 4770. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Taskinen, M.-L. Karjalainen-Lindsberg, H. Nyman, L.-M. Eerola, and S. Leppa A High Tumor-Associated Macrophage Content Predicts Favorable Outcome in Follicular Lymphoma Patients Treated with Rituximab and Cyclophosphamide-Doxorubicin-Vincristine-Prednisone Clin. Cancer Res., October 1, 2007; 13(19): 5784 - 5789. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 W. Klapper, E. Hoster, L. Rolver, C. Schrader, D. Janssen, M. Tiemann, H.-W. Bernd, O. Determann, M.-L. Hansmann, P. Moller, et al. Tumor Sclerosis but Not Cell Proliferation or Malignancy Grade Is a Prognostic Marker in Advanced-Stage Follicular Lymphoma: The German Low Grade Lymphoma Study Group J. Clin. Oncol., August 1, 2007; 25(22): 3330 - 3336. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G. A. Salles Clinical Features, Prognosis and Treatment of Follicular Lymphoma Hematology, January 1, 2007; 2007(1): 216 - 225. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Cancer Research | Clinical Cancer Research |
| Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention | Molecular Cancer Therapeutics |
| Molecular Cancer Research | Cancer Prevention Research |
| Cancer Prevention Journals Portal | Cancer Reviews Online |
| Annual Meeting Education Book | Meeting Abstracts Online |
