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Prognostic relevance of urinary neopterin in non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas
Author(s) -
Abate Giuseppe,
Comella Pasquale,
Marfella Antonio,
Santelli Giovanni,
Nitsch Ferdinando,
Fiore Massimo,
Perna Mario
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19890201)63:3<484::aid-cncr2820630316>3.0.co;2-x
Subject(s) - neopterin , medicine , excretion , creatinine , gastroenterology , urinary system , stage (stratigraphy) , endocrinology , biology , paleontology
Neopterin excretion levels were assessed in 66 consecutive patients affected by non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL). The logarithm of the mean value of the whole series was 2.71 (log [μmol neopterin/mol creatinine]), significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the control value (2.12). Fifty‐six of 66 patients had a raised excretion of neopterin in amounts statistically related to the stage of disease. The mean value (2.51) of patients in Stages I‐II was lower than the mean value (2.86) of patients in Stage III‐IV (P < 0.001). The 2‐year probability of survival was 64% for patients in Stages I‐II and 34% for patients in Stages III‐IV. However, patients with lower neopterin excretion (<2.65) fared better than patients with higher neopterin excretion, regardless of the stage. Longitudinal analysis showed a trend toward a correlation between response to therapy and neopterin excretion. In NHL, the raised neopterin excretion appears to be a consequence of activation of the host immune system rather than a product of the malignant cells. But this excessive activation of the monocytes‐macrophages, as reflected by urinary neopterin levels, is not accompanied by a better outcome. In conclusion, although neopterin cannot be considered a typical tumor marker, nevertheless it is an useful prognostic marker in NHL.