title: Clinical significance of serum-soluble interleukin-2 receptor in patients with follicular lymphoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although sIL-2R level has a prognostic value in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, its clinical role in patients with follicular lymphoma has not been determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed data on 70 patients diagnosed with follicular lymphoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ann Arbor stage was I, II, III, and IV in 6, 9, 17, and 38 patients, respectively, and grade classification according to the World Health Organization criteria was 1, 2, 3A, 3B, and not available in 28, 15, 11, 4, and 12 patients, respectively. sIL-2R at diagnosis was significantly correlated with Ann Arbor stages (P < .001), number of nodal lesions (≥ 5 or not) (P = .0050), and Follicular Lymphoma International Prognosis Index risk classification (P = .0015). Furthermore, sIL-2R regressed significantly in patients who achieved complete remission, uncertain complete remission, or partial remission (P < .001), and increased when regrowth of lymphoma was shown (P < .001). Finally, a high level of sIL-2R at diagnosis was correlated with shorter progression-free survival (P = .018) and time to next treatment (P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum-soluble interleukin-2 receptor is correlated with tumor burden at diagnosis and during the clinical course of therapies in patients with follicular lymphoma, and our data support its usefulness to function as a surrogate marker of tumor progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshizato
authors.forename: Yasuhito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nannya
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Motoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Mineo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurokawa
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2
keywords: Follicular lymphoma; Prognosis; Relapse; Tumor burden; sIL-2R