Objects: To systematically evaluate the baseline characteristics, tumour microenvironment indicators such as the lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR) and treatment response (POD24) as prognostic predictors of follicular lymphoma (FL) among Chinese patients.
Methods: We retrospectively analysed 112 FL patients from 2000 to 2017, whose pathology grading included 1– 3a. Absolute lymphocyte and monocyte counts were determined by cell blood counting. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to analyse the influence of prognostic predictors on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis was conducted using the Cox proportional risk model.
Results: The long-term survival of Chinese FL patients (median PFS, 74.8 months) was slightly better than that of patients in foreign countries. Among several prognostic models, the Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) score had a significant effect on both PFS and OS, while there were no independent prognostic predictors. Patients with LMR ≤ 3.6, ALC ≤ 0.6*10⁹/L and AMC > 0.6*10⁹/L had worse OS, among which LMR was an independent indicator of OS. The POD24 subgroup had a higher frequency of high-risk patients according to FLIPI and FLIPI2 scores (63.0% vs 35.1%, P = 0.013 and 18.5% vs 3.9%, P = 0.003) and had an markedly shorter OS (P < 0.0001).
Conclusion: This study is a systematic prognostic evaluation based on Chinese clinical data. We found a new factor, the LMR, that could independently predict prognosis compared with FLIPI or FLIPI2.
Keywords: follicular lymphoma, prognosis, clinical characteristics, lymphocyte/monocyte ratio, immunology