Follicular Lymphoma, or Fl, is the second most frequent type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and is not curable using combination chemotherapies.
Follicular Lymphoma, or Fl, is the second most frequent type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and is not curable using combination chemotherapies. Although the biomarker FLI-PI-2 (Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index-2) is being used as a predictor for progression free survival (PFS), widely adapted biomarkers released from FL tumor cells have not been established thus far.
LR11 is a type 1 membrane protein that plays a key role in the body for the migration of undifferentiated vascular smooth muscle cells. As well, circulating soluble LR11 (called sLR11) is a biomarker for coronary stenosis (when a coronary artery gets blocked or backed up by cholesterol or fat). LR11 is also expressed on immature blood cell precursors, however little is known about its potential role in blood cells. Takeharu Kawaguchi et al found that LR11 is highly expressed in leukemic cells and that serum sLR11 levels in acute leukemia patients are significantly higher during diagnosis, and lower at the time of remission. The study set out to study the clinical importance of the finding for FL patients.
The conclusion of the study states that elevated serum sLR11 levels were a strong predictor of disease relapse, and patients with high levels showed significantly inferior PFS. In the future, it may be possible to combine serum sLR11 levels with previous progression indexes to distinguish which patients may need more intensive treatment strategies to prevent relapse. The study is continuing to look into this possibility with a greater patient cohort, and hope that the understanding of LR11 in FL may provide more insights about tumor progression. To learn more, check out the link below.
