title: Serum and tissue CTACK/CCL27 chemokine levels in early mycosis fungoides may be correlated with disease-free survival following treatment with interferon alfa and psoralen plus ultraviolet A therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neoplastic T-cell recruitment into the skin is a critical step in the pathogenesis of mycosis fungoides (MF), and the cutaneous T-cell attracting chemokine, CTACK/CCL27, might be involved.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical and prognostic significance of CTACK/CCL27 levels in patients with early-stage MF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples and skin biopsy specimens were collected from 15 patients at the time of diagnosis and after the end of treatment with psoralen plus ultraviolet A/interferon alfa-2b combination therapy. Serum samples were also collected from 20 healthy donors as controls. CTACK/CCL27 serum levels were analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. CTACK/CCL27 tissue expression was determined by immunohistochemistry on skin biopsy specimens taken at diagnosis and after therapy. Event-free survival was taken as the primary clinical outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients with MF at diagnosis, CTACK/CCL27 serum levels were not significantly different from healthy controls, whereas CTACK/CCL27 expression in the skin was increased in 87% of cases compared with normal controls. After therapy, all patients obtained a clinical complete remission, serum levels did not change significantly and tissue expression remained abnormal in 80% of patients, even if complete histological remission was recorded. Serum levels were not significantly different in cases with different intensity of cutaneous immunostaining. Eight patients experienced a relapse: the combination of high CTACK/CCL27 levels both in sera and skin increased the probability of experiencing an event at 51 months from 36% to 83%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data seem to indicate that CTACK/CCL27 levels in skin and sera after therapy might be correlated with risk of recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Ancona Hospital, Polytechnic Marche University, Ancona, Italy. g.goteri@univpm.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goteri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rupoli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campanati
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zizzi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Picardi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cardelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giantomassi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Canafoglia
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marchegiani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mozzicafreddo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brandozzi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stramazzotti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ganzetti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lisa
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Simonetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Offidani
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Federici
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Filosa
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leoni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D054425:Chemokine CCL27 / Q000378:metabolism*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000209:etiology; D011701:PUVA Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C492276:CCL27 protein, human; D054425:Chemokine CCL27; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins