Prognostic significance of BACH2 expression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a study of the Osaka Lymphoma Study Group.
OBJECTIVE
BACH2, a B-cell-specific transcription repressor, is abundantly expressed in lymphocytes of B-cell lineage as well as B-cell lymphoma cell lines. BACH2 possesses an inhibitory effect on proliferation of Raji cell lines derived from Burkitt's lymphoma. In this study, the prognostic significance of BACH2 expression was examined in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).


METHODS
BACH2 expression was immunohistochemically examined on the paraffin-embedded sections obtained by biopsy from 108 patients (62 males and 46 females; age range, 23 to 85 years) with DLBCL. Staining intensity in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells was categorized as equal to or stronger (level 1) or weaker (level 2) than that in the endothelial cells in the same specimens.


RESULTS
Level 1 and 2 expression of BACH2 was found in 32.4% and 67.6% of patients, respectively. Patients with level 1 expression showed significantly better disease-free and overall survival rate than those with level 2 expression (both P < .05). Multivariate analysis revealed BACH2 expression level together with performance status, elevated serum level of lactate dehydrogenase, and treatment response to be independent factors for prognosis of the patients.


CONCLUSIONS
BACH2 expression level is a useful marker to predict disease-free and overall survival of patients with DLBCL.
Sakane-Ishikawa
Emiko
E
Department of Pathology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan.
Nakatsuka
Shin-Ichi
S
Tomita
Yasuhiko
Y
Fujita
Shigeki
S
Nakamichi
Itsuko
I
Takakuwa
Tetsuya
T
Sugiyama
Haruo
H
Fukuhara
Shirou
S
Hino
Masayuki
M
Kanamaru
Akihisa
A
Soma
Toshihiro
T
Tsukaguchi
Machiko
M
Igarashi
Kazuhiko
K
Kanakura
Yuzuru
Y
Aozasa
Katsuyuki
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015996:Survival Rate
C491123:BACH2 protein, human; D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012333:RNA, Messenger