title: Expression of CD40 is a positive prognostic factor of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to investigate the expression level of CD40 and its role in the prognosis of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who were treated with rituximab-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone).
  
  
  METHODS
  The immunohistochemical expressions of CD40 in 186 well-characterized DLBCL patients were evaluated by tissue microarrays, thereby revealing the relationship of the molecule CD40 with known tumor, patient-related variables, and survival rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that CD40 expressions were not statistically different between the germinal center B-cell-like (GCB) type and the non-GCB type. We also analyzed the relationships of CD40 expression with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in DLBCL patients who were uniformly treated with R-CHOP. A low expression of CD40 compared to high expression is related to poor OS and PFS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that the CD40 level at onset acts as an independent prognostic predictor of DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong.
authors.forename: Guoqi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong.
authors.forename: Huiyun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy, Nantong University, Nantong.
authors.forename: Linqing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory of Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing.
authors.forename: Shukui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fuliang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Cho
keywords: CD40; R-CHOP; diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; prognostic factor