Distinct age‐matched serum biomarker profiles in patients with cutaneous T ‐cell lymphoma

Immunological functions decline with age. Because MS /SzS predominately affects the elderly, it is important to distinguish age‐related from cancer‐specific changes. Also, MF and SzS are malignancies of CD 4 + T‐lymphocytes, further compromising an immune state of the patients. The objectives of this study were to distinguish disease‐specific immunological deterioration by performing comparative age ‐ matched Luminex multiplex assessment of 34 serum biomarkers between patients with MF /SzS, HIV‐infected individuals and normal controls. Controlling for age, expression level appears to significantly differ between patients with MF /SzS and controls for the following biomarkers: G‐ CSF , IL ‐5, MIP ‐1 β , TNF ‐ α , VEGF , EOTAXIN , IL ‐8, IL ‐12, IL ‐2R, IP 10, MCP ‐1, MIG , TNFR 1 and TNFR 2 ( P  <   0.05), while others showed normal age‐related changes. Interestingly, cluster analysis placed MF /SzS profiles closer to HIV . This further underscores an immunologically compromised state of patients with MF /SzS and suggests its potential self‐perpetuating role in disease progression.