Strategy of therapy on follicular lymphoma targeting estrogen receptor alpha-positive follicular dendritic cell

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K16577
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 49020:Human pathology-related
• Research Institution: Yamagata University
• Principal Investigator: Ohe Rintaro 山形大学, 医学部, 講師 (40594338)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: estrogen receptor alpha / CD23 / FDC / follicular lymphoma / FLIPI / prognosis

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The number of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)-positive cells was found to be lower in axillary lymph nodes after anti-estrogen therapy compared to untreated axillary lymph nodes, and in addition, the area of germinal center, CD21-positive and CD23-positive follicular dendritic cells was smaller.
Within the follicular lymphoma (FL) microenvironment, there were more ERα- and CD23-expressing cells in Grades 1-2 than in Grade 3.
In terms of both overall survival and progression-free survival, FL in the high ERα group had a better prognosis than FL in the low ERα group, and high ERα expression was found to be an independent prognostic factor in FL.

Free Research Field

人体病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果より、抗エストロゲン治療が濾胞樹状細胞（FDC）の増生・増殖を抑えることが出来る可能性があることを見出した。さらに、ER陽性CD23陽性FDCはGrade 1-2の濾胞性リンパ腫（FL）に多く存在し、G3 FLではほとんどみられなかったことより、G3 FLよりもG1-2 FLに抗エストロゲン治療の効果が期待出来る。