Clinicopathologic characteristics of angioimmunoblastics T-cell lymphoma (AITL): analysis of 243 cases from the International Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma Project.

PURPOSE The International Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma Project was undertaken to better understand the subtypes of T-cell and natural killer (NK) -cell lymphomas. PATIENTS AND METHODSAngioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) was diagnosed according to the 2001 WHO criteria by a central review process consisting of panels of expert hematopathologists. Clinical, pathologic, immunophenotyping, treatment, and survival data were correlated. RESULTS: age ≥ 60 years, stages III to IV disease, lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) > normal, extranodal sites (ENSs) > one, and performance status (PS) ≥ 2; the Prognostic Index for Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma, comprising: age ≥ 60 years, PS ≥ 2, LDH > normal, and bone marrow involvement; and the alternative Prognostic Index for AITL (PIAI), comprising: age > 60 years, PS ≥ 2, ENSs > one, B symptoms, and platelet count < 150 × 10(9)/L. The simplified PIAI had a low-risk group (zero to one factors), with 5-year survival of 44%, and a high-risk group (two to five factors), with 5-year survival of 24% (P = .0065). CONCLUSIONAITL is a rare clinicopathologic entity characterized by an aggressive course and dismal outcome with current therapies.