Background: c-Myc has become significantly involved in aggressive B-cell non Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), but little is known about its importance in T and NK cell NHL (TNKcNHLs) in association with prognostic factors. The study is to investigate the significance of c-Myc expression with clinicopathological features of TNKcNHLs patients.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study of 32 archived tissue blocks of TNKcNHLs were immunohistochemically stained with c-Myc. The results were microscopically evaluated and statistically analysed to examine the association between the clinicopathological data with the c-Myc expression.
Results: c-Myc protein expressions were detected in 25/32 (78.1%) cases. The median age was 38-years. Malay ethnicity (92.0%) with 21 males and 11 females. c-Myc expressions were seen in T lymphoblastic lymphoma (20%), ALK-positive ALCL (16%) ,PTCL,NOS (16%), extra nodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (12%), extra-nodal involvement (78.1%), elevated serum LDH (83.3%) and high ECOG performance status (82.4%). However, no statistical significant of c-Myc in association with the clinicopathological parameters (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: There was no statistically significant association of clinicopathological parameters and histological subtypes of TNKcNHLs contributed by small samples tested. However, the attribution of c-Myc in this disease should be further explored.
Keywords: T and NK cell NHL; c-Myc protein expression; clinicopathology parameters; immunohistochemistry.