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Prognostic Value of Immunohistochemical T-Cell Marker Loss in Early-Stage Mycosis Fungoides: A Single-Center Cohort Study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, often exhibiting loss of pan-T-cell markers such as CD2, CD3, CD5, and CD7. While these immunophenotypic alterations assist in diagnosis, their prognostic relevance in early-stage MF remains uncertain. This study aimed to determine whether immunohistochemical loss of T-cell markers CD2, CD3, CD5, and CD7 in patients with early-stage mycosis fungoides is associated with overall survival and progression-free survival. METHODS: This retrospective included 83 patients with stage IA-IIA MF diagnosed between 2003 and 2012 at a single institution. Immunohistochemical staining of archived biopsy specimens was performed for CD2, CD3, CD5, and CD7. Loss of marker expression was defined as absence in ≥30% of lymphocytes. Clinical and histopathological data were correlated with survival and progression outcomes using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests. RESULTS: < 0.05), but not with overall survival. No significant associations were found between CD2 or CD5 loss and either survival or disease progression. CONCLUSIONS: CD7 loss was the only immunohistochemical abnormality significantly associated with earlier disease progression in early-stage MF, suggesting a potential prognostic role. In contrast, loss of CD2 and CD5 did not affect survival or progression, and CD3 was preserved in all cases. These findings highlight the value of incorporating CD7 status into prognostic assessment, although larger studies are needed to confirm its utility.

Source: Dermatopathology

DOI: 10.3390/dermatopathology12030029

Authors: Sandra Jerkovic Gulin, Ivana Ilic, Dario Gulin, Georgios Kravvas, Romana Ceovic