Abstract
ABSTRACT Objectives: To investigate the protein expression of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition-inducing transcription factors (TFs) Twist, ZEB1 and Slug in peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL) and their correlation with clinical parameters. Methods: The expression of these TFs was studied in 53 diagnostic biopsy specimens of several different PTCL subtypes with immunohistochemistry. Patient data were retrospectively collected from patient records and a statistical analysis was performed. Results: All three TFs were widely expressed. ZEB1 and Slug had correlations with clinical outcome. In all PTCL cases, high nuclear ZEB1 percentage correlated with a favorable progression-free survival (PFS) (3-year PFS: 70% vs. 34%; P = 0.010) and strong nuclear Slug intensity correlated with an unfavorable PFS (3-year PFS: 17% vs. 62%; P = 0.036). Discussion: The correlations between PFS and ZEB1 or Slug protein expression have not previously been established in PTCLs. The impact of ZEB1 and Slug expression on prognosis differed from our findings in DLBCL and the impact of ZEB1 expression was in line with current studies on mycosis fungoides and sézary syndrome. The findings may be explained by the roles these TFs play in hematopoiesis. Conclusion: ZEB1 and Slug may have potential clinical value for evaluating prognosis in PTCLs. The study size was small and heterogenous, and larger studies are warranted.
Highlights
Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are a group of rare and generally aggressive neoplasms that comprise less than 10% of all Non-Hodgkin lymphomas in western countries
The transcription factors (TFs) Twist (TWIST1), ZEB1 and Slug (SNAI2) induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and regulate metastasis and other pro-oncogenic functions in carcinomas, but they play a role in lymphocyte development [3,4,5,6,7,8]
We previously studied these TFs in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and mycosis fungoides (MF) and found that Zeb1 expression correlated with an unfavorable outcome in DLBCL but with a favorable outcome in MF, whereas Twist correlated with an unfavorable outcome in MF and cytoplasmic Slug expression correlated with a favorable outcome in DLBCL [9,10]
Summary
Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are a group of rare and generally aggressive neoplasms that comprise less than 10% of all Non-Hodgkin lymphomas in western countries Their biology is complex with significant overlap between different entities in regard to their morphological and immunophenotypic characteristics [1,2]. The transcription factors (TFs) Twist (TWIST1), ZEB1 and Slug (SNAI2) induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and regulate metastasis and other pro-oncogenic functions in carcinomas, but they play a role in lymphocyte development [3,4,5,6,7,8].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
