OBJECTIVETo investigate the frequency of different types of mature T- and NK-cell lymphomas diagnosed in a 4-year period at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, and to study baseline CD30 for potential anti-CD30 targeted therapy in mature T- and NK-cell lymphoma.

METHODSAll cases of mature T- and NK-cell lymphoma diagnosed at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from September 1, 2009 to August 31, 2013, were reviewed. Paraffin-blocks of available 164 consecutive cases were stained for CD30 immunohistochemistry using EnVision protocol.

RESULTSA total of 625 cases of mature T- and NK-cell lymphomas were diagnosed and the most common type was extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma (ENKTL), nasal type 319 (51.0%) cases, followed by angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) (119 cases, 19.0%), peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) (81 cases, 13.0%), and anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL), including 48 cases (7.7%) of systematic ALCL and 11 cases (1.8%) of primary cutaneous ALCL. Besides ALCL, ENKTL had the highest expression rate of CD30 among the 164 cases, with positivity observed in 41 cases (62.1%, 41/66). Only 1 case of PTCL-NOS was CD30 positive. CD30 was not expressed in all 28 cases of AITL and other rare types of mature T- and NK-cell lymphoma.

CONCLUSIONSThe frequency of different types of mature T- and NK-cell lymphoma encountered at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center was similar to that seen in other areas of China and other Asia countries. CD30 expression is different among several types of mature T- and NK-cell lymphoma. In addition to ALCL, ENKTL has the highest expression rate of CD30, which may be a candidate disease for anti-CD30 targeted therapy.