The following is a summary of “Immunotyping of peripheral blood lymphocytes by flow cytometry reveals Th cell as a potential prognostic biomarker for extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma,” published in the January 2024 issue of Hematology by Qi et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to map the landscape of baseline peripheral blood lymphocytes in extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL), analyzing their distribution, characteristics, and potential as prognostic markers.
They involved 205 newly diagnosed NKTCL patients who underwent first-line chemotherapy and radiation (2010 to 2020). Flow cytometry detected baseline peripheral blood lymphocytes, and the clinical value was analyzed.
The results showed distinctive peripheral immune characteristics in NKTCL patients compared to HCs, featuring higher levels of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells (33.230 ± 12.090% vs. 27.060 ± 4.010%, P<0.001) and NKT cells (7.697 ± 7.219% vs. 3.550 ± 2.088%, P<0.001), along with lower proportions of regulatory T cells (Treg, 2.999 ± 1.949% vs. 3.420 ± 1.051%, P=0.003) and CD4+ helper T cells (Th, 33.084 ± 11.361% vs. 37.650 ± 3.153%, P<0.001). Peripheral lymphocytes exhibited varying distribution based on age, stage, and primary site in NKTCL patients. The Th cells/lymphocytes ratio correlated with tumor burden indicated by stage (P=0.037), serum lactate dehydrogenase (P=0.0420), primary tumor invasion (P=0.025), and prognostic index for NK/T-cell lymphoma (PINK) score (P=0.041). Elevated proportions of T cells (58.9% vs. 76.4%, P=0.005), Th cells (56.3% vs. 68.8%, P=0.047), or Treg cells (49.5% vs. 68.9%, P=0.040) were linked with inferior 5-year PFS through univariable survival analysis. Multivariate Cox regression identified elevated Th cells as an independent predictor for unfavorable PFS (HR = 2.333, 95% CI, 1.030–5.288, P=0.042) in NKTCL.
Investigators concluded that Th cell levels in NKTCL were tied to bigger tumors and worse outcomes, suggesting a potential biomarker.
Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00277-023-05605-8
