Serum soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 level is associated with the outcome of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients treated with the CHOP or R-CHOP regimen.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a heterogeneous disease, with patients exhibiting a wide range of outcomes. Many investigators have searched for prognostic factors for DLBCL and, recently, the concentrations of several cytokines were identified to predict the clinical outcome of patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, including DLBCL. Tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1), which is a member of the TNFR superfamily, has a soluble form (sTNFR1). In this study, we focused on sTNFR1 as a candidate prognostic factor that can be measured readily. We evaluated the prognostic significance of serum sTNFR1 in 213 patients with DLBCL (72 treated with CHOP and 141 with R-CHOP). In the CHOP-treated group, serum sTNFR1 concentration was one of the prognostic factors found. In the R-CHOP group, 5-year overall survival (OS) rates for those having sTNFR1 ≥ 4.25 ng/mL and < 4.25 ng/mL were 28.6% and 77.0% (p < 0.0001), and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 26.7% and 69.2% (p < 0.0001), respectively. In multivariate analyses, serum sTNFR1 was an independent prognostic factor for OS and PFS in the CHOP group. In the R-CHOP group, serum sTNFR1 was also an independent prognostic factor for both OS and PFS, as was poor PS for PFS. The prognosis of patients with high-intermediate risk or high risk, according to the International Prognostic Index, who also had high serum sTNFR1, was especially poor. Serum sTNFR1 level is a reliable prognostic factor for patients with DLBCL. 〔J Clin Exp Hematop 54(2) : 117-127, 2014〕