HOME HELP FEEDBACK TABLE OF CONTENTS ARCHIVE SUBSCRIPTIONS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Tzankov et al. Supplementary data Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Tzankov, A. Articles by Dirnhofer, S. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Tzankov, A. Articles by Dirnhofer, S. Related Collections Related Articles

Correlation of high numbers of intratumoral FOXP3⁺ regulatory T cells with improved survival in germinal center-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma and classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma

¹ Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland;
² Institute of Pathology, Triemli Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland;
³ Chair of Pathology and Unit of Hematopathology, Institute of Hematology and Clinical Oncology "L. and A. Seràgnoli", University of Bologna, Italy

Correspondence: Alexandar Tzankov, MD, Department of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Schoenbeinstr. 40, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland. E-mail: atzankov{at}uhbs.ch

Background: The tumor microenvironment is important for the behavior of cancer. We assessed the distribution and biological significance of FOXP3⁺ regulatory T-cells (Treg) in lymphomas.

Design and Methods: The absolute number of intratumoral FOXP3⁺ cells was immunohistochemically studied on lymphoma tissue microarrays from 1019 cases of different types of lymphomas and correlated to phenotypic and clinical parameters in uni- and multivariate models. Receiver operating characteristic -curves were used to determine prognostic cut-off values of FOXP3⁺ cell density.

Results: Of the 1019 cases, 926 (91%) were evaluable. FOXP3⁺ cell density varied between the lymphoma entities, and was highest in follicular lymphoma. An increased number of tumor-infiltrating FOXP3⁺ cells over the receiver operating characteristic-determined cut-offs positively influenced both disease-specific and failure-free survival in follicular lymphoma (p=0.053) and disease-specific survival in germinal center-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (p=0.051) and overall and failure-free survival in classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma (p=0.004), but had a negative prognostic effect in non-germinal center diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (p=0.059). In a Cox regression model, considering stage and age, the amount of FOXP3⁺ cells was of independent prognostic significance for failure-free survival in classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma and of borderline significance for overall survival in classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma and disease-specific survival in germinal center-like and non-germinal center diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Conclusions: FOXP3⁺ cells represent important lymphoma/host microenvironment modulators. Assessment of FOXP3⁺ cell density can contribute to the prediction of outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, fallicular lymphoma and classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Key words: lymphoma, Treg, FOXP3, tissue microarray, receiver operating characteristic curves.

Related Articles

High clinical and molecular response rates with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and mitoxantrone in previously untreated patients with advanced stage follicular lymphoma

Silvia Montoto, Carol Moreno, Eva Domingo-Doménech, Cristina Estany, Albert Oriol, Albert Altés, Joan Besalduch, Carme Pedro, Santiago Gardella, Lourdes Escoda, Antoni Asensio, Pilar Vivancos, Pilar Galán, Alberto Fernández de Sevilla, Josep M. Ribera, Javier Briones, Dolors Colomer, Elías Campo, Emili Montserrat, Armando López-Guillermo for the Grup per l’Estudi dels Limfomes de Catalunya I Balears (GELCAB) Spain
Haematologica 2008 93: 207-214. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Mittal, N. A. Marshall, L. Duncan, D. J. Culligan, R. N. Barker, and M. A. Vickers Local and systemic induction of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T-cell population by non-Hodgkin lymphoma Blood, June 1, 2008; 111(11): 5359 - 5370. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]