The expression of CD27 on T cells in microenvironment and its correlationship to the prognosis of multiple myeloma / 中华检验医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To analyze the expression of CD27 on T lymphocytes in the microenvironment of multiple myeloma (MM), and explore whether CD27 level or the CD27-/CD27+ ratio of T-cell affect the prognosis of MM patients.Methods:A total number of 103 newly-diagnosed MM patients from January 2016 to June 2019 were enrolled in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Harbin Medical University. All patients received bortezomib-based three-drugs combination regimen. The expression of CD27 on T lymphocytes in bone marrow aspirate samples was detected by flow cytometry before any treatment. MM patients were divided into two groups according to the CD27 level CD27-high expression group (CD27 expression on T-cells ≥20%) and CD27-low expression group (CD27 expression on T-cells <20%). The clinical characteristics, treatment response and prognosis of patients between the two groups were analyzed using χ 2-test. The survival and clinical information of patients were compared using Kaplan-Meier method, and the related factors related to the survival of MM were analyzed using Cox proportional risk model. Results:Among 103 MM patients, 68 cases (66.0%) were included in CD27 high expression group, and 35 cases (34.0%) were included in low expression group. The percentage of bone marrow plasma cells and β2-MG level in CD27 high expression group were higher than those in CD27 low expression group significantly (54.4% [37/68] vs 22.9% [8/35], χ2=9.352, P=0.002;58.8% [40/68] vs 37.1% [13/35], χ2=4.348, P=0.037), and the proportion of ISS stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ in CD27 high expression group was higher than the counterpart (79.4% [54/68] vs 60% [21/35], χ2=4.399, P=0.036). After 4 cycles of three-drug combination therapy, the overall response rate ( ORR=stringent complete response+complete response+very good partial response+partial response) of the low CD27 expression group was higher than the high expression group (82.9% [29/35] vs 38.2% [26/68], χ2=18.489, P<0.01). The deep response rate to treatment (stringent complete response+complete response+very good partial response) was higher (48.6% [17/35] vs 27.9% [19/68], χ2=4.326, P=0.038), and the progression, free surviva (PFS) was longer (21months vs.14.1months, t=18.655, P<0.001) in the low expression group compared with CD27-high group. Univariate analysis showed that CD27-/CD27+T lymphocyte ratio, ISS stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ, age ≥65 years, β2-Mg ≥3.5 mg/L, and plasma cell proportion ≥30% were associated with the poor prognosis of MM patients, and the differences were significant statistically ( P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that CD27-/CD27+T lymphocyte ratio was an independent prognostic factor for 2-year overall survival (OS)( HR=2.425, 95% CI 1.216-4.835, P=0.012) and 2-year PFS ( HR=1.881, 95% CI 1.085-3.260, P=0.024) in MM patients. Conclusions:The expression of CD27 in T lymphocytes is correlated with the prognosis, treatment response and progression-free survival of MM. The ratio of CD27-/CD27+T lymphocytes is an independent prognostic indicator.