OBJECTIVETo explore whether PCDH15-SI is stable and accurate to diagnose NK/T-cell lymphoma or not.

METHODSThe paraffin-biopsiy specimens were collected from 45 cases of NK/T-cell lymphoma and 33 cases of non-NK/T-cell lymphoma in Department of pathology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University. The paraffin sections were stained by immunohistochemistry and blank controls were set up. The peripheral blood was collected from these cases of NK/T-cell lymphoma and non-NK/T-cell lymphoma, as well as from the normal controls in the same hospital. The serum PCDH15 levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSImmunohistochemistry showed that PCDH15 were expressed in biopsy specimens of both the NK/T-cell lymphoma in the experimental group and the non-NK/T cell lymphoma in the control group. The expression rate in the NK/T-cell lymphoma group was higher than that in control group. The PCDH15-SI can be detected in NK/T cell lymphoma, non-NK/T cell lymphoma and the normal controls, which is higher in lymphoma patients than that in control, and the serum level was higher in the non-NK/T-cell lymphoma patients than that in the NK/T-cell lymphoma patients. Also, the serum level was higher in the patients with advanced disease than that in the patients at early stage.

CONCLUSIONPCDH15 does not act as the new diagnostic marker for NK/T cell lymphoma. The serum level of PCDH15-SI may be helpful to the staging and judging therapeutic effect and prognosis for the patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.