Angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy (AILD)-type T-cell lymphoma: prognostic impact of clinical observations and laboratory findings at presentation. The Kiel Lymphoma Study Group.
BACKGROUND
In order to establish the clinico-pathological properties of angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy (AILD)-type T-cell lymphoma, we evaluated the type, incidence and prognostic significance of clinical and laboratory symptoms.


METHODS
Sixty-two consecutive patients diagnosed at the Kiel lymph node registry participated in the study. The median patient age was 64 years (range 21-87 years) and the female to male ratio was 1:1.4. Ninety percent of the patients were in stage III and IV and B-symptoms were observed in 68%. At diagnosis patients presented with skin rash (49%), pruritus (32%), edema (38%), pleural effusion (37%), arthritis (18%) and ascites (23%). Furthermore, they exhibited autoimmune phenomena such as cold agglutinines, circulating immune complexes, a positive Coombs test, smooth muscle antibodies, rheumatoid factors, immune hemolysis, a paraprotein, antinuclear antibodies and cryoglobulins.


RESULTS
In univariate analysis, survival was significantly related to age (p=0.032), stage (p=0.037), B symptoms (p=0.007), rash/pruritus (p=0.038), edema (p=0.030), ascites (p=0.013), number of clinical symptoms including B symptoms (p=0.004) and excluding B symptoms (p=0.017), lactate dehydrogenase (p=0.007) and hemoglobin (p=0.020).


CONCLUSIONS
AILD type T-cell lymphoma characteristically differs from other non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in its clinical signs and laboratory symptoms.
Siegert
W
W
Universitätsklinikum Rudolf Virchow, Abteilung für Innere Medizin mit Schwerpunkt Hämatologie und Onkologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
Nerl
C
C
Agthe
A
A
Engelhard
M
M
Brittinger
G
G
Tiemann
M
M
Lennert
K
K
Huhn
D
D
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001201:Ascites / Q000209:etiology; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007119:Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D015993:Life Tables; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011537:Pruritus / Q000209:etiology; D015996:Survival Rate
D006454:Hemoglobins; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase