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FOXP3+ regulatory T cells in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas: association with disease stage and survival

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Abstract

FOXP3 is a unique marker for CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). In solid tumours, high numbers of Tregs are associated with a poor prognosis. Knowledge about the implications of Tregs for the behaviour of haematological malignancies is limited. In this study, skin biopsies from 86 patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) unspecified were analysed for the expression of FOXP3 on tumour cells and tumour-infiltrating Tregs. Labelling of above 10% of the neoplastic cells was seen in one case classified as an aggressive epidermotropic CD8+ cytotoxic CTCL. In the remaining 85 cases, the atypical neoplastic infiltrate was either FOXP3 negative (n=80) or contained only very occasional weakly positive cells (n=5). By contrast, all biopsies showed varying numbers of strongly FOXP3+ tumour-infiltrating Tregs. MF with early or infiltrated plaques had significantly higher numbers of FOXP3+ Tregs than CTCL unspecified or advanced MF with tumours or transformation to large cell lymphoma. An analysis of all patients demonstrated that increasing numbers of FOXP3+ Tregs were associated with improved survival in both MF and CTCL unspecified. In conclusion, our data indicate that the presence of FOXP3+ Tregs in CTCL is associated with disease stage and patient survival.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Foundation of 17—12-1981, the Research Council, the Danish Foundation for Cancer Research and the Danish Cancer Society.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    L M Gjerdrum, C M Burton & E Ralfkiaer

  2. Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    A Woetmann & N Odum

  3. Department of Pathology, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

    K Rossen

  4. Department of Dermatology, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

    G L Skovgaard

  5. Department of Immunology, Tissue Typing Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    L P Ryder

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  1. L M Gjerdrum
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  2. A Woetmann
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  8. E Ralfkiaer
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Correspondence to L M Gjerdrum.

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Gjerdrum, L., Woetmann, A., Odum, N. et al. FOXP3+ regulatory T cells in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas: association with disease stage and survival. Leukemia 21, 2512–2518 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404913

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404913

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