CXCL13 and CXCL12 in central nervous system lymphoma patients.
OBJECTIVE
Homing of malignant lymphocytes to the central nervous system (CNS) may play a role in the pathogenesis of CNS lymphoma. In this study, we evaluated the chemokines CXCL12 and CXCL13 in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of patients with CNS lymphoma.


METHODS
Samples from 30 patients with CNS lymphoma (23 with primary and 7 with secondary CNS lymphoma; all B-cell lymphoma) and 40 controls (10 patients with other CNS malignancies and 30 without a malignant CNS disease) were examined. CXCL12 and CXCL13 concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The grade of blood-brain barrier disruption was estimated by the CSF/serum albumin ratio.


RESULTS
CNS lymphoma patients and controls did not differ in CXCL12 serum and CSF levels. Serum levels of CXCL13 were generally low. CXCL13 CSF levels, however, were significantly higher in CNS lymphoma patients as compared with controls (P < 0.0001). Chemokine levels in CSF and serum did not correlate. In CNS lymphoma, CXCL13 concentration in CSF correlated with the degree of blood-brain barrier disruption (R = 0.66; P = 0.003). Elevated CSF levels of CXCL12 and CXCL13 measured in seven CNS lymphoma patients during therapy decreased in five patients who responded to chemotherapy and increased in two with lymphoma progression.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest a production of CXCL13 within the CNS of CNS lymphoma patients, which decreases with response to therapy. Thus, CXCL13 may represent a marker for further diagnostic and prognostic studies.
Medical Clinic for Hematology and Oncology, Charité Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany. lars.fischer@charite.de
Lars
L
Fischer
Agnieszka
A
Korfel
Sebastian
S
Pfeiffer
Philipp
P
Kiewe
Hans-Dieter
HD
Volk
Hüsniye
H
Cakiroglu
Thomas
T
Widmann
Eckhard
E
Thiel
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12 / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D054382:Chemokine CXCL13 / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C110663:CXCL13 protein, human; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D054382:Chemokine CXCL13; D007069:Ifosfamide; D008727:Methotrexate