KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to to analyze clinicopathological characteristics of ATLL patients with TFHP.
- The results showed that while some patients with ATLL may present a TFHP, it doesn’t affect prognosis.
Lymphomas arising from T-follicular helper (TFH) cells exhibit unique characteristics and are pivotal for B-cell functions. Moreover, the 5th edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification introduced three lymphomas as distinct disease entities originating from TFH cells.
Reiji Muto and the team conducted a study that aimed to explore the clinicopathological characteristics of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) exhibiting a TFH phenotype (TFHP).
Researchers conducted TFH immunohistochemistry analysis of 5 biomarkers on biopsy specimens, with TFHP indicated by a positive result for more than 2 markers. Among the 75 cases of ATLL examined, 37.3% exhibited TFHP. Comparing cases of ATLL with and without TFHP, those with TFHP demonstrated elevated C-reactive protein levels (P= 0.0219) and increased high endothelial venule proliferation (P= 0.024).
However, no significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of overall survival or other clinical and morphological findings. Additionally, there were no significant variations between the groups regarding TFH markers and FOXP3 expression.
The findings suggested that while some ATLL patients may exhibit a TFHP, this should not hinder the diagnosis of ATLL. Although TFHP presentation does not impact prognosis, it remains crucial to recognize ATLL cases with TFHP, potentially guiding future treatment approaches. No funding information was available.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38506241/
Muto R, Miyoshi H, Nakashima K, et al. (2024) “Clinicopathological features of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma with T-follicular helper phenotype.” Cancer Med. 2024 Mar;13(6):e7050. doi: 10.1002/cam4.7050. PMID: 38506241.
