Use of minimal disseminated disease and immunity to NPM-ALK antigen to stratify ALK-positive ALCL patients with different prognosis.

We studied the prognostic value of minimal disseminated disease (MDD) and anti-ALK immune response in children with NPM-ALK-positive anaplastic-large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and evaluated their potential for risk stratification. NPM-ALK transcripts were analyzed by RT-PCR in bone marrow/peripheral blood of 128 ALCL patients at diagnosis, whereas ALK antibody titers in plasma were assessed using an immunocytochemical approach. MDD was positive in 59% of patients and 96% showed an anti-ALK response. Using MDD and antibody titer results, patients could be divided into three biological risk groups (bRG) with different prognosis: high risk (bHR): MDD-positive and antibody titer 1/750, 40/128 (31%); intermediate risk (bIR): all remaining patients, 62/128 (48%). Progression-free survival was 28% (s.e., 9%), 68% (s.e., 6%) and 93% (s.e., 4%) for bHR, bIR and bLR, respectively (P