URINARY-EXCRETION OF PSEUDOURIDINE AND PROGNOSIS OF PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANT-LYMPHOMA

Urinary excretion of pseudouridine, a modified nucleoside, was assesse d in 30 patients with Hodgkin's disease, and 106 patients with non-Hod gkin's lymphoma, classified according to the Kiel system, Elevated exc retion was found in 47% of 49 patients with high-grade malignant (HGM) lymphoma, and in 37% of 57 with low-grade malignant (LGM) lymphoma, i n 13% in Hodgkin's disease, and 3% in 79 reference individuals, The le vel of pseudouridine excretion correlated with clinical stage in HGM l ymphoma (p < 0.0001), but not in LGM lymphoma or Hodgkin's disease (p = 0.086 and 0.36 respectively), Of 28 patients,vith B-symptoms 71% had elevated excretion, compared to 26% of 108 without B-symptoms (p < 0. 0001). Elevated excretion of pseudouridine before therapy was associat ed with shorter survival time in LGM lymphoma stage II to IV disease, (p = 0.022), and a similar tendency was also observed in HGM lymphoma, Using Cox proportional hazard model, age, malignancy grade, excretion of pseudouridine, and disease stage were identified as independent pr ognostic factors in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.