[Expression profile and prognostic significance of CD24, p53 and p21 in lymphomas. A tissue microarray study of over 600 non-Hodgkin lymphomas].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Tissue microarrays allow the simultanous, rapid and standardized in-situ analysis of up to 1000 different tissue samples on a single glass slide. We investigated the expression profil and the prognostic significance of CD24, p53 and p21 using a Non-Hodgkin-Lymphoma tissue microarray.

METHODS: Over 600 well documented Non-Hodgkin-Lymphomas, consisting of 341 diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, 86 follicular lymphomas, 81 chronic lymphatic leukemias/small lymphocytic lymphomas, 51 primary mediastinal diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, 26 mantle cell lymphomas, 8 lymphoplasmocytic lymphomas, 8 T-cell-lymphomas NOS und 2 Burkitt lymphomas were brought into array format. The expression of CD24, p53 and p21 was analysed semiquantitatively by immunohistochemistry. The immunophenotype p53+/p21- (Deltap53) was used as a surrogat for p53 gene mutations. The expression profile was compared to clinical data and the overall survival in the subgroup of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

RESULTS: 91% of the analyzed Non-Hodgkin-lymphomas (473 of 522 cases) showed CD24 positivity. CD24 Expression was not associated with survival. Deltap53 was found in thirteen percent of all lymphomas (70 of 539 cases), the subgroup of the diffuse large B-cell lymphomas demonstrated the highest Deltap53 (21%). In a multivariate cox regression analysis, a high international prognostic index and Deltap53 were independent markers of bad survival.

CONCLUSION: The TMA-technology allows also in lymphoma research the simultanous, cost-effective and standardized analysis of large patient cohorts. Deltap53 revealed as an independent negative prognostic factor in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. It can easily be determined in daily routine practice.