CD26 Role in Early-Stage Mycosis Fungoides Diagnosis

Abstract

Abstract Introduction/Objective The diagnosis of Mycosis Fungoides(MF) at its early stage is challenging because of its similarity to Large Plaque Parapsoriasis(LPP). Although the ISCL criteria were introduced for diagnosis of early MF, there have been false positives for some of the immunopathologic and molecular biological criteria. Thus, this criterion may not be as specific as it was thought to be. Methods During the present descriptive-analytical study from 2013 to 2018, 27 MF and 21 LPP cases were included and IHC staining for CD26 marker was performed. Results Of 18 patients with MF diagnosis with a mean age of 55.55, 11 were female and 7 were male. Also, 14 patients with a diagnosis of LPP with a mean age of 51.22, 9 were female and 5 were male. There was no significant difference between patients’ age and gender (P>0.05). According to this test, there were statistically significant differences in CD5, CD7, and CD26 expressions between two groups (P=0.005, P=0.009, and P=0.005 respectively). According to the results for the expression of CD26, there is a significant discrepancy between MF and LPP (P=0.019). Conclusion IHC staining for CD26 marker can be successfully used in combination with other known criteria to discriminate patchy MF than LPP with significant precision.