[Correlation between FOXP3, CD11c Protein Expression and Prognosis of Patients with Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma]

To investigate the correlation between FOXP3, CD11c protein expression and the prognosis of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

This study included 48 patients with DLBCL who were admitted to Jiujiang No.1 People's Hospital and TCM-Integrated Hospital of Southern Medical University from January 2015 to January 2019. The DLBCL tissues removed during the operation were collected as test specimens. The expression of FOXP3 and CD11c protein were detected by immunohistochemistry. The deadline for postoperative follow-up was December 31, 2019, and the patient's short-term efficacy (complete remission, partial remission) and progression-free survival were recorded.

FOXP3 protein was positively expressed in the nucleus, mostly focally or diffusely distributed, the FOXP3⁺ rate was 54.17% (26/48). While, the CD11c protein was positively expressed on the cell membrane, mostly diffusely distributed, and the CD11c⁺ rate was 60.47% (29/48). The expression of FOXP3 and CD11c protein was no significant relationship with age, sex, site of involvement, and lactate dehydrogenase level in DLBCL patients, but was a significant relationship with clinical stage and international prognostic index score, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). That was, the lower the clinical stage of DLBCL patients and international prognostic index score, the higher the positive expression rate of FOXP3 and CD11c protein (r=0.637, r=0.709). One year after surgery, the total effective rate of DLBCL patients with FOXP3⁺ or CD11c⁺ expression was significantly higher than that of patients with FOXP3^- or CD11c^-,expression (P<0.05). By the end of the follow-up, the median progression-free survival of DLBCL patients with FOXP3⁺ or CD11c⁺ expression was significantly longer than that of patients with FOXP3^- or CD11c⁺ expression (P<0.05).

In some patients with DLBCL, FOXP3 and CD11c expresse positively, and the positive expression rate is related to the clinical stage and international prognostic index score. The positive expression of FOXP3 and CD11c indicate a good prognosis.