Heterogeneous expression of Src tyrosine kinases Lyn, Fyn and Syk in classical Hodgkin lymphoma: prognostic implications

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic significance of the expression of Lyn, Fyn and Syk in Hodgkin lymphoma and its correlation with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection. With this in mind, 96 patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma were immunohistochemically evaluated for Lyn, Fyn and Syk expression in Hodgkin and Reed–Sternberg cells, and the results were correlated with the presence of EBV and patient outcomes. These three kinases were heterogeneously expressed in classical Hodgkin lymphoma cases. As there are no cut-offs established for these antibodies, they were introduced as continuous variables in the model. Statistical analysis showed that the expression of Syk and Fyn was significantly associated with shorter failure-free survival. Syk and Fyn may be useful to predict at diagnosis the treatment response of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma. There was a significant association between EBV infection and Lyn expression (p < 0.05). Overexpression of Syk and the availability of Syk inhibitors suggest that this molecule might be a therapeutic strategy worthy of development for cases expressing this molecule.

Keywords::

• Classical Hodgkin lymphoma
• outcome prediction
• Lyn
• Fyn
• Syk

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (P05/1553, RETIC RD 06/0020/ 0047) and Fundación Mutua Madrileña. P.M. is supported by a grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CP08/218). The authors wish to thank Martin Hadley-Adams for assisting with the English language and preparing the manuscript.

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