KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to investigate the association between HLA genotypes and the risk of CNS involvement in aggressive DLBCL.
- Researchers noticed that HLA genotypes significantly influence CNS tropism in lymphoma, suggesting potential for CNS relapse prediction in clinical practice.
Central nervous system (CNS) involvement in aggressive Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), either as a primary or secondary event to systemic disease, portends a poor prognosis.
Riina K Ollikainen and the team aimed to identify patients at high risk for CNS relapse by analyzing their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotypes.
They performed an inclusive analysis of the HLA genotypes of 164 patients diagnosed with systemic lymphoma, primary CNS lymphoma, and CNS relapse of systemic lymphoma. Patient records were meticulously reviewed, and HLA typing was conducted by the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service.
To ensure the accuracy of the results, patients who had received CNS prophylaxis were excluded, resulting in a final analysis of 131 patients. This retrospective study aimed to identify specific HLA genotypes that could be linked to an increased risk of CNS involvement in aggressive DLBCL.
They found a strong association was identified between the HLA-A*31 genotype and CNS disease (P=0.001). Additionally, various HLA genotypes were found to be linked to lactate dehydrogenase levels, extranodal disease, International Prognostic Index score, and disease stage.
The study concluded that the patient’s genetic constitution, rather than solely disease-related factors, plays a significant role in the tropism of lymphoma for the CNS. If these findings are confirmed in a larger study, defining the HLA genotype of a lymphoma patient could become a valuable tool for predicting the risk of CNS relapse, potentially guiding more personalized treatment strategies.
This study was supported by grants from the Väisänen fund in the Terttu Foundation (RO), Thelma Mäkikyrö Fund, and the Finnish Medical Fund (MELK).
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39060054/
Ollikainen RK, Sippola A, Turpeenniemi-Hujanen T, et al. (2024). “Patient’s HLA Genotype Is Associated With the Risk of Central Nervous System Dissemination and Clinical Disease Presentation in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma.” Anticancer Res. 2024 Aug;44(8):3255-3259. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.17143. PMID: 39060054.
