Tumor-associated macrophages in pediatric classical Hodgkin lymphoma: association with Epstein-Barr virus, lymphocyte subsets and prognostic impact Full Text
Clinical Cancer Research, 06/01/2012
Barros MHM et al. – Macrophage composition in pediatric cHL is distinct from adults. Functional status of macrophages and their value as prognostic indicators in pediatric cHL may depend on EBV status.
Methods- We analyzed the number of macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) in the tumor microenvironment of pediatric cHL by immunohistochemistry (IHC).
- Results were analyzed in context of age, histological characteristics, EBV-status, clinical follow-up and our previous study of T-cell populations in these cases.
- 100 cHL cases were studied, including 69% nodular sclerosis (NS) and 23% mixed cellularity (MC) cases. 44.8% of cases were EBV-positive.
- Patients
- In comparison to NS, MC was characterized by higher numbers of CD14+, (P= 0.003) and CD163+ cells (P= 0.027).
- EBV+ cases exhibited higher numbers of CD14+ (P< 0.0005), CD68+ (P= 0.005) and CD163+ cells (P= 0.02).
- CD68-positive cells did not display an effect on outcome.
- Worse overall survival was observed in cases with CD163/CD8 ratio >/=2 (P= 0.007).
- High numbers of CD163+ cells were associated with worse progression-free survival (PFS) (P= 0.015).
- Furthermore, high numbers of CD163+ and Granzyme B+ cells were associated with worse PFS in EBV-negative (P= 0.005) but not in EBV-positive cases.
