Materials and MethodsA total of 79 adult patients with newly diagnosed stage 2�C4 selleck compound non-Hodgkin lymphomas was enrolled at Songklanagarind Hospital, the major tertiary care center in southern Thailand, between December 30, 2005 and April 9, 2009. Patients with a reactive test for human immunodeficiency virus or primary extranodal lymphomas were excluded. Histological classification was in accordance with the WHO classification system. Monoclonal antibodies targeting CD3, CD5, CD20, and CD79a (Dako, Glostrup, Denmark) were used for the T- or B-lineage determination. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Prince of Songkla University.Clinical staging was evaluated according to the Ann Arbor staging system. Prognostic assessment was performed based on the International Prognostic Index (IPI).

All patients were treated with a standard CHOP regimen including a minimum of six courses of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone. Rituximab was not routinely administered in Thailand. Treatment response was classified as complete remission (CR), undetermined complete remission (CRu), partial remission (PR), stable disease (SD), or progressive disease (PD) according to the standard criteria. Ten mL of peripheral venous blood samples was collected from all participants before their treatment was begun. All samples were centrifuged at 2000g for 10 minutes and frozen at ?20��C soon after collection. The samples were thawed and analysed after 12�C24 months’ storage.

Serum VEGF and bFGF concentrations were measured by quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique (Quantikine R; R&D systems, Minneapolis, MN) following the manufacturers’ instructions. All analyses and calibrations were performed in duplicate. A set of standard wells containing known quantities of recombinant human VEGF and bFGF were included in all experiments. Concentrations were recorded as the mean of duplicate measurements in picograms per milliliter. The intra- and interassay variations were within the ranges given by the manufacturers.2.1. Statistical AnalysisFrequency tables of baseline characteristics were analyzed with the Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test. A logistic regression model was used to predict complete remission (CR). Univariate analysis of survival was performed with the Kaplan-Meier method.

Overall survival (OS) was calculated as the time interval from the date of diagnosis to death or last followup. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to estimate time-to-event endpoints. Survival data between subgroups were compared using the log rank test. Multivariate analysis of OS was performed using a Cox regression model with backward elimination. Cilengitide Critical P values for entry and removal were 0.2 and 0.4, respectively. To test the main hypothesis, we forced the serum level of VEGF and bFGF into the model. Hazard ratios (HR), 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and P value were obtained from the best-fit model.