title: Prognostic significance of the Bcl-2 negative germinal centre in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma treated with R-CHOP.
abstract: The classification of germinal centre (GC) and non-GC is an important prognostic immunophenotype for patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) following anthracycline-based chemotherapy. The expression of the anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, has been associated with an unfavourable prognosis in patients with DLBCL. Immunohistochemistry was performed using antibodies against CD10, Bcl-6, MUM-1 and Bcl-2. To establish the combined prognosis of the immunophenotype and Bcl-2 overexpression, patients were separated into four subgroups based on their gene expression profile: the Bcl-2 positive GC subgroup, Bcl-2 negative GC subgroup, Bcl-2 positive non-GC subgroup, and the Bcl-2 negative non-GC subgroup. The clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of the four patient subgroups were compared. Ninety-six patients with de novo DLBCL received R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, adriamycin and prednisone) therapy. The baseline characteristics of the patient subgroups were similar. The Bcl-2 negative GC subgroup had a favourable progression-free and overall survival (OS) compared with the other three subgroups (p = 0.042, 0.043). Multivariate analysis confirmed that the Bcl-2 negative GC group was independently associated with progression-free survival and OS. The results of this study showed that the Bcl-2 negative GC patients had the most favourable prognosis among patients with DLBCL that received R-CHOP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Pusan National University, Seo-Gu, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Moo-Kon
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Joo-Seop
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Dong-Hoon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Young-Mi
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Seol
authors.forename: Ho-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Young-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Goon-Jae
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011379:Prognosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000069283:Rituximab; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D000069283:Rituximab; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone