Materials and Methods: A total 46 cases of cHL with complete clinical records were selected and re-evaluated histopathologically. Staining for CD68 (PG-M1; KP1 clones) and CD163 was evaluated and the cut-off values were defined. Also, all cases were evaluated using the chromogen in situ hybridization (CISH) method with EBER (Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA) probes for the presence of possible EBV infection.
Results: It was found that high expression levels of PG-M1 and high International Prognostic Scores (IPS) were associated with shortened overall survival (p=0.047, p=0.013). Cases with 2 or less areas of nodal region involvement were observed to have longer progression-free survival period (p=0.043). Higher expression levels of CD68 PG-M1, CD68 KP1, and CD163 were found to show significant associations with the presence of some clinical parameters such as the presence of B symptoms, spleen involvement, and the presence of EBV infection.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that increase of PG-M1+ TAM is associated with shortened overall survival, while higher expressions of all immunohistochemical markers are statistically significantly associated with the presence of EBV infection and clinical parameters mentioned above. These findings indicate that highlighting the TAM rate via macrophage markers in cases of cHL could be helpful in determining the prognostic risk groups and the relevant results should be mentioned in pathology reports.
Among these, 24 were nodular sclerosing (NS), 20 were mixed cellularity (MS), 1 was lymphocyte rich (LR), and 1 was the lymphocyte depleted (LD) type. Course of disease, clinical features, laboratory findings, presence or absence of B symptoms, presence or absence of bulky (R ≥ 10 cm) lesion(s), presence or absence of mediastinal mass, stage of the disease according to the modified Ann Arbour System, and presence or absence of recurrence(s) and progression were noted from the patients files and pathology reports. Risk groups were determined according to IP score and EORTC score. As the number of cases is not high, both scoring systems were applied for all patients at any stage. Patients were divided into two categories according to IP scores; low-risk group (IPS≤ 3) and high-risk group (IPS≥4). Another categorization was also performed according to the EORTC score; low-risk group (not bearing any of the above-mentioned risk factors) and high-risk group (bearing at least one risk factor).
Treatment
From the patients files, it was determined that various
treatment protocols had been administered depending
on the stage of the disease and the performance of the
patients. Forty-four of the cases underwent a conventional
adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine (ABVD)
treatment regimen, and in addition to this, radiotherapy was applied to the tumor-associated area in some of the
cases. Because the performance status of the remaining
two cases was low, no chemotherapy was administered
and they died 2 months and 8 months after the initial
diagnosis. One of these patients had the LD and the other
had the MS type of cHL, respectively. In 9 out of 18 cases
showing recurrence or progression after the initial therapy,
additional chemotherapy regimens were also administered.
Immunohistochemistry and chromogenic in situ
hybridization
For immunohistochemistry, 4μ-thick sections obtained
from formalin-fixed/paraffin-embedded tissues were
placed on positive-charged electrostatic slides (Isotherm
Technical Laboratory Glass Materials). All sections were
then placed on a fully automated immunohistochemical
staining machine (Ventana, Benchmark, XT IHC/ISH).
UltraView Universal DAB Detection Kit compatible with
the device was used for IHC staining. Monoclonal mouse
primary antibodies CD163 (clone MRQ-26, prediluted,
VENTANA, Cat. No: 760-4437) and CD68 (clone KP-
1, prediluted, VENTANA, Cat. No: 790-2931and clone
PG-M1, prediluted, DAKO, Code: IS613, prediluted, Cat.
No: 760-4437) were applied and staining was completed
according to the standard procedures. To detect EBV-RNA
with an EBER (Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA) probe
via the CISH method, 4μ-thick tissue sections placed on
positive-charged electrostatic slides were also used. All
tests were performed with a fully automated ISH machine
(Ventana, Benchmark XT, IHC/ISH), by using EBER 1
DNP Probe (Regulatory status: ASR; Cat. No: 760-1209),
compatible with the machine, and the Ultraview AP Red
ISH Kit for EBV RNA signaling, and staining was completed
according to the standard procedures.
Evaluation of immunohistochemical and ISH staining
For immunohistochemical studies, the rate of staining
macrophages was determined via consensus of two
observers (A. I. and H. S. M.) by standard research
microscope. To assess the rate of staining macrophages,
microscopic fields that were rich in HRS cells were chosen
and almost the same fields were used to evaluate all three
antibodies. Assessment was made in 5 neighboring highpower
fields in each case in a quantitative manner, by
counting the number of staining macrophages and all other
non-neoplastic cells, and recording the rate of staining
macrophages in multiples of 5%. To assess a case as EBER
(+), it has been stated that almost all neoplastic cells have
to be stained with EBER-ISH technique (12). So, cases with
nuclear staining of nearly all neoplastic cells were assessed
to be positive with EBER.
Statistical Analysis
As the highest expression levels were obtained with CD163
followed by CD68 PG-M1 and CD68 KP1 expressions in a
decreasing manner, the rates of 50%, 40% and 30%, which
were close to the median values were considered as primary
cut-off values, respectively. Furthermore, the rate of 30%
for CD163 and 10% for CD68 PG-M1 and CD68 KP1
were determined as secondary cut-off values in order to
investigate whether lower expressions were significant. In
survival analysis, overall survival was defined as the period
from diagnosis to death of the patient for any reason or to
last recorded follow-up date while progression-free survival
was defined as the period from diagnosis to progression or
recurrence of the disease or to last recorded follow-up date.
To assess possible relations between the above-defined cutoff
values and the clinicopathologic parameters, laboratory
findings, and the presence of EBV, Fishers exact test was
used. Significant variables obtained in univariate analysis
were then evaluated for multivariate analysis by using the
logistic regression model. The Kaplan-Meier procedure
was used for survival analysis and the log-rank test was
applied to compare survival curves. Pearson and Spearman
correlation tests were utilized to evaluate the correlation
between expressions of the three immunohistochemical markers. P values smaller than 0.05 were considered as
statistically significant while p values equal or greater
than 0.05 but smaller than 0.1 were considered as having
borderline significance. All tests were performed by using
SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences), version 20.0.
Evaluation of light microscopy, CD163 and CD68
expressions and CISH studies
Examples of abundant and scant HRS cell population in
the non-neoplastic background in H&E stained slides of
two different cases are shown in Figure 1A, B, respectively.
In these cases, EBER ISH was positive in the first (Figure
1C) and negative in the second (Figure 1D). When TAM
intensity was evaluated in all three markers, it was seen that
the highest levels of expression were observed with CD163
and lower levels were detected with CD68 clone KP1.
Examples of high and low expression levels of CD163, CD68
PG-M1, and CD68 KP1 of the above cases are presented
in Figure 2A-C and Figure 2D-F, respectively. However, expression levels of all three markers were correlated
statistically (p<0.001; Pearson and Spearman correlation
tests). It was also observed that staining with histiocytic
markers was more intense in the areas where neoplastic
cells were abundant, especially with CD163.
Relationship of CD163 and CD68 expression, EBV
infection, age, gender and clinicopathologic parameters
with survival
Statistical data obtained to assess relationship of survival
with CD163 and CD68 PG-M1 and CD68 KP1 expressions
according to two different cut-off points, EBV infection,
age, gender and clinicopathologic parameters are shown
in Table I. It was stated that overall survival was decreased
with higher CD68 PG-M1 expression levels (according to
the 40% cut-off point) and higher IP scores (p=0.047 and
p=0.013, respectively). There was a significant relationship between a long duration of progression-free survival and
the number of involved nodal regions below 3 (p=0.043),
while there was a borderline statistically significant
difference with the presence of EBV infection (p=0.062).
No significant differences were found between survival and
types of cHL (i. e. NS or MS types; LR and LD types were
not analyzed).
Relationship of CD163 and CD68 expression with EBV
infection and clinicopathologic parameters
Statistical data obtained to assess relationship of CD163,
CD68 PG-M1, and CD68 KP1 expressions with EBV
infection and clinicopathologic parameters are shown in
Table II. Increased staining intensity for all three histiocytic
markers was found to be correlated with the presence of B
symptoms, splenic involvement, presence of EBV infection,
and high-risk group according to EORTC. Multivariate analyses revealed that significant relationships between all
three markers and EBV infection and B symptoms were
retained. This was also the same for increased CD163 and
CD68 PG-M1 expressions and splenic involvement.
CONFLICT of INTEREST
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
FUNDING
This work was supported by the Scientific Research Project
Office of Manisa Celal Bayar University. Project Number:
2016-025.
AUTHORSHIP CONTRIBUTIONS
Concept: Aİ, HSM, Design: HSM, Aİ, Data collection
or processing: HSM, LSB, MM, Aİ, NN, Analysis or
Interpretation: HSM, Aİ, AT, Literature search: HSM,
Writing: HSM, Approval: HSM
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