HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

From Cell Biology to Tissue Engineering

 

Expression of TIM-3 and LAG-3 in extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, nasal type

Yuhua Feng1, Meizuo Zhong1, Yiping Liu1, Leyuan Wang2 and Youhong Tang1

1Department of Oncology and 2Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China

Offprint requests to: Youhong Tang, Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China, e-mail: fyh87256630@163.com


Summary. Objective. To investigate the expression of TIM-3 and LAG-3 in extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL), and evaluate the clinical and prognostic significance of TIM-3 and LAG-3 in ENKTL. Methods. A total of 61 human paraffin-embedded specimens including 41 ENKTL and 20 rhinitis were involved. We performed immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of TIM-3 and LAG-3. We analyzed correlation between expression of TIM-3 and LAG-3 and clinicopathological features of ENKTL. Results. TIM-3 was positively expressed in 95 (39/41) ENKTL compared with 55% (11/20) in rhinitis, LAG-3 was positively expressed in 95 (39/41) ENKTL compared with 45% (9/20) in rhinitis. A positive correlation was found between TIM-3 and LAG-3. TIM-3 and LAG-3 had no significant correlation with ENKTL patients' age, gender, international prognostic index (IPI) score, B symptoms, LDH level, Ann Arbor stage and treatment regimens. High expression of TIM-3, high IPI score, elevated LDH level and late Ann Arbor stage were shown to be correlated with worse progression free survival (PFS). A multivariate COX regression model show that TIM-3 high expression rate was an independent prognostic factor for ENKTL patients' PFS. Conclusions. Our findings indicate that TIM-3 might be a promising predictive indicator for the ENKTL patients. Histol Histopathol 33, 307-315 (2018)

Key words: Extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, Nasal type, TIM-3, LAG-3, Immunohistochemistry

DOI: 10.14670/HH-11-931