Relationship between expression of interleukin 6 in tumor microenvironment and prognosis in patients with natural killer/T cell lymphoma

Qichun Cai; Bing Bai; Yan Gao; Xiaoxiao Wang; Huiqiang Huang

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Relationship between expression of interleukin 6 in tumor microenvironment and prognosis in patients with natural killer/T cell lymphoma

VernacularTitle:肿瘤微环境中白细胞介素6的表达与NK/T细胞淋巴瘤预后的关系
Author: Qichun CAI ; Bing BAI ; Yan GAO ; Xiaoxiao WANG ; Huiqiang HUANG
Keywords: Lymphoma; NK-T cell; Tumor microenvironment; Interleukin 6
From: Journal of Leukemia & Lymphoma 2017;26(7):396-399
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: Objective To investigate the expression of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in tumor microenvironment of natural killer/T cell lymphoma (NKTCL) and its relationship with clinical characteristics and prognosis. Methods From January 2005 to December 2012, 93 patients with NKTCL and available paraffin-embedded tissue in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were included. The expression or IL-6 in tumor microenvironment was investigated by immunohistochemistry. The positive IL-6 expression was identified as≥10 cells/HP. The enumeration data and measurement data were compared by t test andχ2 test, respectively. Overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Survival rates were compared by the Log-rank test. Statistical significance was determined at a level of P<0.05. Results The median count of IL-6 positive cell number was 21 cells/HPF (range, 0-150 cells/HP), and 61.29%(57/93) patients were positive. Positive IL-6 expression was mostly associated with fever and high Korean prognostic index (KPI) score (both P< 0.05). The serum c-reactive protein (CRP) level was (29.28 ± 2.62) mg/L in IL-6 positive patients and (11.14±2.77) mg/L in IL-6 negative patients (t= -2.276, P= 0.025). Patients with negative IL-6 expression had better survival, with 52.7 % of 5-year PFS rate,and 60.0 % of 5-year OS rate; the 5-year PFS and OS rates in those with IL-6 positive were 23.6 % and 27.1 %, respectively (both P= 0.001). Conclusion The high expression of IL-6 in patients with NKTCL might be associated with adverse clinical feature and poor survival.