Human germinal center-associated lymphoma protein expression is associated with improved failure-free survival in Brazilian patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma

• Published in: Leukemia & lymphoma Vol. 50; no. 11; pp. 1830 - 1836
• Main Authors: Azambuja, Denize, Lossos, Izidore S., Biasoli, Irene, Morais, José Carlos, Britto, Luciana, Scheliga, Adriana, Pulcheri, Wolmar, Natkunam, Yasodha, Spector, Nelson
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Informa UK Ltd 01.11.2009; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Bleomycin - administration & dosage; Brazil; Cohort Studies; Dacarbazine - administration & dosage; Doxorubicin - administration & dosage; Female; Germinal Center - metabolism; Germinal Center - pathology; HGAL; Hodgkin Disease - drug therapy; Hodgkin Disease - metabolism; Hodgkin Disease - pathology; Hodgkin lymphoma; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Proteins - biosynthesis; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; survival; Survival Analysis; Tissue Array Analysis; tissue microarray; Treatment Outcome; Vinblastine - administration & dosage; Young Adult; Brazil
• ISSN: 1042-8194; 1029-2403
• DOI: 10.3109/10428190903242628

The human germinal center-associated lymphoma (HGAL) gene has prognostic value in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and expression of its cognate protein is germinal center-specific. A previous study had suggested that HGAL protein expression might also be related to the outcome in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). The aim of this study was to confirm the prognostic impact of HGAL protein expression in an independent, well-characterized cohort of 232 patients with classic HL treated uniformly with doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (ABVD). Tissue microarray analysis showed HGAL staining in 188 specimens (81%). Failure-free survival (FFS) was superior in patients with early-stage disease, low-risk IPS, and HGAL-positive patients. The estimated 5-year FFS for HGAL-positive and HGAL-negative patients was 82% and 67%, respectively (p = 0.03). In the multivariate analysis, advanced stage and absence of HGAL staining were independent predictors of a worse FFS. This study confirms and validates recent findings of a correlation between HGAL expression and outcome in classical HL.