Elevated circulating levels of TNFalpha and its p55 soluble receptor are associated with an adverse prognosis in lymphoma patients.

In 88 newly diagnosed lymphoma patients, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and soluble TNF type I receptor (p55-R-TNF) were prospectively determined in plasma by immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) and ELISA methods respectively. These 88 patients included 19 with centrocyto-centroblastic lymphoma, 13 patients with other low-grade lymphoma, and 56 with high-grade lymphoma. Median TNFalpha plasma values were 20 pg/ml (range 5-380 pg/ml) in patients versus 7 pg/ml (range 4-9 pg/ml) in 20 healthy control subjects. Presence of TNFalpha level > or = 20 pg/ml was significantly associated with elevated LDH level (P<0.0001), serum beta2-microglobulin level > or = 3 mg/l (P<0.0001), haemoglobin < or = 12 g/dl (P=0.0001), Ann Arbor stage III or IV disease (P<0.005), and with bulky tumour (P=0.01). High level of TNFalpha was also associated with B symptoms (P<0.005), poor performance status (P<0.05), and serum albumin < or = 35 g/l (P<0.05). Levels of p55-R-TNF were also markedly elevated in these lymphoma patients (median of 3.5 ng/ml, range 0.8-18.8 ng/ml) versus 1.45 ng/ml in control subjects (range 1.1-2.3 ng/ml). Level of p55-R-TNF > or = 3.5 ng/ml was significantly associated with poor performance status (P<0.0001), B symptoms (P<0.0001), beta2-microglobulin levels > or = 3 mg/l (P<0.0001), serum albumin < or = 35 g/l (P=0.0001), C-reactive protein > 6 mg/l (P=0.0003), elevated (>20 pg/ml) IL-6 level (P<0.005), haemoglobin < or = 12 g/dl (P<0.005), and bulky tumour (P<0.001). In the whole group of 88 patients, both high TNFalpha and p55-R-TNF levels strongly predicted short progression-free survival (P<0.005 for both variables) and overall survival (P<0.001 and P<0.001 respectively). In multivariate analyses the elevation of p55-R-TNF retained a higher significance over the other variables and therefore improved the predictive value of the International Prognostic Index. This study suggests that elevated TNF gamma and p55-R-TNF levels have high correlation with other adverse prognostic factors in lymphoma patients and may predict a poor outcome.