OBJECTIVETo study the clinicopathologic features and prognostic factors of Chinese patients with mantle cell lymphoma.

METHODSOne hundred and two cases of mantle cell lymphoma occurring in Chinese patients were studied by light microscopy and immunohistochemistry. The follow-up information was also analyzed. The cases were classified as mantle zone, nodular or diffuse patterns and as typical or blastoid variants. Age, Ann-Arbor staging, B symptoms, hematologic parameters, histologic variants, mitotic index and immunophenotype were assessed for possible prognostic implication.

RESULTSThe median age of the patients was 59 years (range: 30 to 79 years) and the male-to-female ratio was 2.92:1. Seventy-one patients (87.65%) presented with advanced stage disease (Ann Arbor stage III to IV). B symptoms were present in 45.45% of patients. The commonest site of involvement was lymph node (100%). The other involved sites included bone marrow (64.44%), spleen (63.16%), Waldeyer's ring (31.25%), peripheral blood (29.41%), liver (22.64%) and gastrointestinal tract (14.71%). All cases expressed B-cell markers but were negative for T-cell marker. Majority of cases were positive for cyclin D1 (94.12%) and CD5 (71.43%). Blastoid variant accounted for 24.51% of cases. Amongst the 68 cases with follow-up data available, the median survival was 10 months. Parameters associated with shorter survival included diffuse pattern, blastoid variant, high mitotic index, high proliferative activity and presence of bone marrow involvement.

CONCLUSIONSThe clinicopathologic features and prognostic factors of mantle cell lymphoma occurring in Chinese are similar to those in Caucasians. Diffuse pattern, blastoid variant, high mitotic index, high proliferative activity and involvement of bone marrow indicate poor prognosis.