title: The role of follicular T helper cells in patients with malignant lymphoid disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the dynamic change of follicular T helper cells (TFH) in patients with malignant lymphoid disease (MLD) and to explore its clinical significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  The dynamic change of TFHcells, ICOS+- and PD-1+TFHcells at pretreatment and different treatment periods was determined by flow cytometry in 85 MLD patients. Concentration of interleukin 21 (IL-21) was evaluated by ELISA, and the correlation between clinical prognosis and the ratio of TFHcells was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly increased ICOS+- and PD-1+TFHcells were found in MLD patients at pretreatment compared to healthy controls. Decreased or even close to normal levels of ICOS+- and PD-1+TFHcells were found at the end of treatment. However, in the patients with progressive disease, high levels of ICOS+- and PD-1+TFHcells were found. Moreover, a significantly increased plasma IL-21 level was found in MLD patients. Negative correlation was found between the level of ICOS+-, PD-1+TFHcells, as well as IL-21 and the prognosis of MLD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significantly increased TFHcell ratios were found in patients with MLD, and decreased TFHcells ratios could be expected in those treatment-effective patients, which could be used as the therapeutic efficacy index.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou , China.
authors.forename: Dong-Ming
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou , China.
authors.forename: Yan-Xia
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou , China.
authors.forename: Li-Ying
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou , China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou , China.
authors.forename: Zi-Yan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou , China.
authors.forename: Yu-Qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou , China.
authors.forename: Jin-Xiang
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D059786:Abnormal Karyotype; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D011379:Prognosis; D012074:Remission Induction; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators
keywords: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia; multiple myeloma; non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma