title: Influence of low absolute lymphocyte count of patients with nongerminal center type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with R-CHOP therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rituximab has dramatic impact on outcome of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), especially nongerminal center (non-GC) type. A low absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) before rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, adriamycin, and prednisone (R-CHOP) therapy as a surrogate marker of immune status is associated with poor clinical outcome in DLBCL. Therefore, we hypothesized that low ALC before R-CHOP would have effect on the survival in non-GC type.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and thirty-six DLBCL patients who were treated with R-CHOP from 2003 to 2007 were analyzed in the present study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ALC > or = 1.0 x 10(9)/l predicted a longer 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and 3-year overall survival (OS) versus ALC <1.0 x 10(9)/l (82.6% versus 60.0%, P = 0.005 and 87.2% versus 62.0%, P < 0.001, respectively). Non-GC type had similar PFS and OS to germinal center type (68.2% versus 80.0%, P = 0.074 and 72.7% versus 82.9%, P = 0.111, respectively). However, considering clinical influence of the ALC according to immunophenotype, low ALC in non-GC type DLBCL was associated with lower PFS and OS compared with others (PFS, P = 0.002; OS, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that low ALC in non-GC type had lower PFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.324, P = 0.001] and OS (HR = 4.318, P < 0.001), independent of international prognostic index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A low ALC in non-GC type DLBCL counteracted the beneficial effect of rituximab on survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology-Oncology, Pusan National University Hospital, Medical Research Institute, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: M-K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: J-S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Y-M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Seol
authors.forename: S-G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: H-J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Y-J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: G-J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: D-H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002452:Cell Count; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011379:Prognosis; D000069283:Rituximab; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000069283:Rituximab; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone