Prognostic role of natural killer cells in pediatric mixed cellularity and nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To study natural killer cells' spontaneous cytotoxic capacity against tumor cells and their prognostic significance in classical Hodgkin's disease.


METHODS
Thirty-eight pediatric mixed cellularity and nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease patients were included in the study. Immunohistochemical staining was performed for natural killer cells in the background using the monoclonal antibody CD57 in serial sections of B5-formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks. CD57-positive cells were counted with an immersion objective among 5,000 cells on representative areas of the tumors. The degree of natural killer cells was classified as low (<150 cells) or high (> or = 150 cells). Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the differences between patients with and without relapse.


RESULTS
The mean of CD57-positive cell numberfor all the cases was 173.42 +/- 117.34 (range, 20-500). CD57-positive cells were high in 21 cases and low in 17. The mean of CD57-positive cell numbers was 191.85 +/- 115.33 in the disease-free group and 84.44 +/- 57.90 in the relapsing group. Log rank analysis showed statistical significance between event-free survival and number of CD57-positive cells (P = .0207).


CONCLUSIONS
In multivariate analysis, CD57 expression proved to be a prognostic factor independent from otherfactors. As a result, CD57 expression by background natural killer cells may be used as a prognostic parameter in mixed cellularity and nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease.
Ortaç
Ragip
R
Department of Pathology and Pediatrics, Dr. Behcet Uz Children's State Hospital, Izmir, Turkey. rortac@superonline.com.tr
Aktaş
Safiye
S
Diniz
Gülden
G
Erbay
Ayşe
A
Vergin
Canan
C
D018959:CD57 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis
D018959:CD57 Antigens