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High expression of Bcl-2 predicts poor outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients with low international prognostic index receiving R-CHOP chemotherapy

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Abstract

The prognostic significance of Bcl-2, Bcl-6, p53, topoisomerase II, and β-tubulin expression was evaluated in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients treated with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisolone, and rituximab. Eight-year progression-free survival (PFS, P = 0.006) and overall survival (OS, P = 0.001) of patients with high Bcl-2 expression were significantly inferior to those of patients with low expression without prognostic significance of Bcl-6, p53, topoisomerase II, and β-tubulin expression. High expression of Bcl-2 was associated with poor PFS (P = 0.045) and OS (P = 0.004) only in patients with low international prognostic index (IPI). In multivariate analysis, high expression of Bcl-2 was a significant independent prognostic factor of poor PFS (P = 0.026) and OS (P = 0.007) along with high IPI. In conclusion, the expression of Bcl-2 may be a useful prognostic factor, especially in DLBCL patients with low IPI.

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Acknowledgment

The authors are grateful to Geum Sook Jeong for administrative assistance in preparing and submitting the manuscript.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Hematology-Oncology, Ajou University School of Medicine, 164 Worldcup-ro, Yeongtong-Gu, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea

      Yong Won Choi, Mi Sun Ahn, Jin-Hyuk Choi, Hyun Woo Lee, Seok Yun Kang, Seong Hyun Jeong & Joon Seong Park

    2. Department of Pathology, Ajou University School of Medicine, 164 Worldcup-ro, Yeongtong-Gu, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea

      Jae Ho Han & Jang-Hee Kim

    3. Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea

      Seung Soo Sheen

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    1. Yong Won Choi
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    Correspondence to Hyun Woo Lee or Jae Ho Han.

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    Y. W. Choi, M. S. Ahn and J. H. Choi contributed equally to this work as first authors.

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    Choi, Y.W., Ahn, M.S., Choi, JH. et al. High expression of Bcl-2 predicts poor outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients with low international prognostic index receiving R-CHOP chemotherapy. Int J Hematol 103, 210–218 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-015-1911-0

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-015-1911-0

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