Serum CD44 Levels Preceding the Diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Serum CD44 (s-CD44) concentrations were measured in sera taken from 49 individuals who were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 0.9 to 7.2 years after taking the blood sample, and from 49 controls matched for age. The serum samples had been collected in conjunction of the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) study, which evaluated the influence of vitamin supplementation on cancer prevention. S-CD44 was measured using chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay. S-CD44 concentrations of the cases were significantly elevated before the diagnosis of lymphoma when compared to the serum levels found in the controls (median, 447 ng/mL; range, 108-780 ng/mL vs. median, 364 ng/mL; range, 53-660 ng/mL; p=0.012). Individuals who were later diagnosed with high grade lymphoma according to the Kiel classification (n=21) had significantly higher values than the controls 0.9-4.0 years before the diagnosis, but such a difference could not be detected if serum samples had been taken more than 4 years before the diagnosis. The s-CD44 levels were not significantly elevated among individuals who were later diagnosed with low grade malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n=25) as compared to their controls. The prediagnostic s-CD44 levels in cases and controls overlapped markedly, and a value higher than the highest value found among the controls (660 ng/mL) was found only in 5 (10%) samples taken from individuals who were later diagnosed with lymphoma. We conclude that serum CD44 may be elevated a few years preceding the diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but the levels overlap markedly with those found in individuals without lymphoma.