The Significance of Autoantibodies in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Abstract

Lymphoproliferative diseases are the most common disorders associated with autoimmune disturbances. We determined the autoimmune phenotype of 64 non Hodgkin's lymphoma patients' and compared their clinicopathologic properties. Serum direct antiglobulin test [(DAT) n=64], indirect antiglobulin test [(IAT) n=61], platelet autoantibodies [(PAA) n=51], anti nuclear antibodies [n=33], anti-native DNA [n=29], anti phospholipid antibodies [n=40] and, lupus anticoagulant [n=33] were used as autoimmune markers. Twenty five patients (39%) displayed one or more autoimmune marker positivity (+). Three patients with (+) DAT and IAT had autoimmune hemolytic anemia and two patients with PAA had autoimmune thrombocytopenia. Male patients were more susceptible to autoimmunity in low grade lymphomas and the statistical difference was significant (p=0.035). Most of the autoimmune markers (+) patients had low grade and disseminated disease but this was not significant. Remission rates were not found to be different between autoimmune marker (+) and (-) patients. Although statistically not significant. median survival was longer in autoimmune marker (-) patients than in the others (50 versus 39 months). The significance of autoimmunity in NHL in a larger series of patients should be investigated in future studies.

Anti-CENP-B Antibodies Are Associated with Prolonged Survival in Breast Cancer

“…However, good responders to chemotherapy showed increased antinuclear antibody levels compared with poor respond ers. By contrast, the presence of autoantibodies resulted in a nonsignificantly worse survival in nonHodgkin's lymphoma patients in another study [24]. As clearly recognized, cancer is a multi step process during which expression of vari ous genes and encoded proteins is altered and host immune response directed against these antigens is unpredictable.…”

“…The prognostic value of autoantibodies has been previously investigated in malignant melanoma, lymphoma, breast, lung and colo rectal cancer [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]15,24]. Gogas et al evaluated 200 melanoma patients treated with highdose interferon.…”

Malignancies and Catastrophic Anti-phospholipid Syndrome

“…Haematological and lymphoproliferative malignancies particularly may be associated with the development of aPL, but their presence does not necessarily enhance the thrombophilic risk in these patients [44][45][46]. It was striking that haematological malignancies were present in 26% of CAPS patients and formed the largest single group of malignancies.…”

Association thrombopénie et anticorps antiplaquettes fixés lors de l'allo-immunisation plaquettaire anti-HPA-5b

“…L'auto-immunisation par Acs anti-PS est présente dans le purpura thrombopénique idiopathique [2,3], dans certaines pathologies auto-immune comme le lupus érythémateux dissé-miné ou lors d'hémopathie comme les lymphomes [11]. La présence de ces auto-Acs peut induire des thrombopénies foetales et néonatales chez la mère immunisée par passage transplacentaire d'immunoglobulines de classe G [1] et des états réfractaires après transfusion de PS notamment chez les patients thrombopéniques après greffe de moelle osseuse ou suite à des chimiothérapies lourdes.…”

“…En dehors du purpura thrombopénique idiopathique, des auto-Acs anti-PS peuvent être détectés chez des patients atteints de pathologies auto-immunes telles que le lupus érythémateux disséminé. Lors d'hémopathies, Timuragaoglu et al [11] ont observé la pré-sence d'auto-Acs anti-PS parmi quatre patients (8 %) appartenant à un groupe de 51 patients atteints de lymphomes non hodgkiniens. Néanmoins, l'association d'une auto-immunisation dirigée contre les PS chez les patients porteurs d'allo-Acs anti-PS reste mal définie en pratique courante.…”