The significance of autoantibodies in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Lymphoproliferative diseases are the most common disorders associated with autoimmune disturbances. We determined the autoimmune phenotype of 64 non H odgkin's lymphoma patients' and compared their clinicopathologic properties . Serum direct antiglobulin rest [(DAT) n=64], indirect antiglobulin test [ (IAT) n=61], platelet autoantibodies [(PAA) n=51], anti nuclear antibodies [n=33], anti-native DNA [n=29], anti phospholipid antibodies [n=40] and. lu pus anticoagulant [n=33] were used as autoimmune markers, Twenty five patie nts (39 %) displayed one or more autoimmune marker positivity (+). Three pa tients with (+) DAT and IAT had autoimmune hemolytic anemia and two patient s with PAA had autoimmune thrombocytopenia. Male patients were more suscept ible to autoimmunity in low grade lymphomas and the statistical difference was significant (p=0.035). Most of the autoimmune markers (+) patients had low grade and disseminated disease but this was not significant, Remission rates were not found to be different between autoimmune marker (+) and (-) patients. Although statistically not significant, median survival was longe r in autoimmune marker (-) patients than in the others (50 versus 39 months ). The significance of autoimmunity in NHL in a larger series of patients s hould be investigated in future studies.