title: Prognostic significance of circulating CD19+ B lymphocytes in EBV-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: In this retrospective study, the correlation between pre- and post-treatment plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA and circulating immune subsets as well as the prognostic implications was investigated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. Patients (n=356) were diagnosed and received comprehensive treatment at the First People's Hospital of Foshan from 2006 to 2010. Pre- and post-treatment plasma EBV DNA load and circulating immune subsets (percentage of CD3+ T cell, CD3+ CD4+ T cells, CD3+ CD8+ T cells, CD19+ B cells and CD56+ NK cells) were analyzed by real-time PCR and flow cytometry. Patient age correlated negatively with CD3+ T cells (r=-0.264, P=0.001) and positively with CD56+ NK cells (r=0.272, P=0.001). Pre-treatment plasma EBV DNA correlated negatively with CD19+ B cells (r=-0.223, P=0.009) and CD4/CD8 ratio (r=-0.177, P=0.047). Patients with low CD19+ B cell had poorer 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) (66.6 vs. 81.8%, P=0.036) and 5-year overall survival (OS) (70.5 vs. 81.5%, P=0.097) than patients with high CD19+ B cells. Low CD19+ B cells was identified as a negative prognostic factor for 5-year PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.487; P=0.040), but not for 5-year OS (HR 0.550; P=0.102) in multivariate analysis. Post-treatment plasma EBV DNA was the most important prognostic factor for 5-year PFS (HR 2.983; P=0.006) and 5-year OS (HR 3.927; P<0.001). This study demonstrates the clinical value of circulating CD19+ B cell measurements in NPC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, 528000, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China, asian.you@163.com.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zheli
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Bojin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Sumei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Donghui
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chunhua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Guoyi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Huiling
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Weihan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018941:Antigens, CD19 / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002277:Carcinoma; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D011379:Prognosis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018941:Antigens, CD19