Prognostic significance of T cell subsets in peripheral blood of B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients.
The role of tumor-infiltrating T cell subsets in the prognosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) has previously been reported. In the present study, we investigated the prognostic significance of different T cell subsets in the peripheral blood of NHL patients. Immunophenotyping was performed on the peripheral blood samples of 45 patients with newly diagnosed B cell NHL using flow cytometry. The relationship between T cell subsets of CD4+, CD8+, CD3+CD25+, CD4+CD25+, CD4+CD25high [as T regulatory cells (T reg)], and the CD4/CD8 ratio with international prognostic index (IPI) and response to therapy was determined. The percentages of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells in the peripheral blood of the patients were 49.1±20.3%, 23.6±11%, and 31.4±14.4%, respectively (CD4/CD8 ratio: 0.92±0.6). There were 4.2±3.2% T reg cells. A study of the percentage of T cells in relation to IPI score showed a higher proportion of CD3+CD25+, CD4+, and CD4+CD25+ cells in low-risk patients compared with intermediate/high risk groups (p<0.05). The above cells, as well as CD4+CD25high T reg cells, indicated a positive correlation with complete remission (CR) and survival. CD4 positivity correlated significantly with survival and CR durations, which were longer in patients with ≥20% CD4+ cells than those with <20% CD4+ cells, thus indicating the prognostic value of CD4+ T cells in NHL patients. There was no significant data on CD8+ cells as well as the CD4/CD8 ratio between distinct IPI groups and response to therapy. These data indicated the importance of CD4+ cells and the activation status of T cells in immunity against lymphoma and the prognostic implication of enumeration of these cells in NHL patients.
Hematology and Oncology Department, Hematology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, 71345-1798, Shiraz, Iran.
Mehdi
M
Dehghani
Shokouh
S
Sharifpour
Zahra
Z
Amirghofran
Hamid Reza
HR
Zare
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*