摘要
Background The prognosis is poor for patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin＇s lymphoma （NHL）. The main reason for poor prognosis is multidrug resistance （MDR）, for which the main phenotype is overexpression of P-glycoprotein （P-gp）. This study explored the efficacy of ligustrazine as a salvage agent in patients with relapsed or refractory NHL, and the relationship to P-gp expression. Methods Sixty patients were randomized to a reversal agent group, receiving ligustrazine plus chemotherapy, and a control group, receiving chemotherapy alone. Flow cytometry was performed to evaluate P-gp expression. Results In the 56 patients we were able to evaluate, there was no statistically significant difference in progression-free survival （PFS） in the two groups （P=0.0651）, but the reversal agent group had a higher overall response rate （ORR） than did the control group （P=0.048）. Forty-one of 56 patients had P-gp（＋） tumor cells. Among these patients, six of eighteen patients in the reversal agent group and in the control group had complete remission or complete remission/unconfirmed （CR＋CRu） reflecting a significant advantage in the reversal agent group （P=0.048）. Patients with P-gp（＋） tumor cells in the reversal agent group had a higher overall response rate （ORR） than did the control group （11/18 vs. 6/23, P=0.024）. Kaplan-Meier Survival curve and log-rank test demonstrated that patients with P-gp（＋） tumor cells in the reversal agent group had longer progression-free survival than did the control group （P=0.0464）. A small number of patients who received ligustrazine had a decrease in blood pressure. Conclusion Ligustrazine as a salvage agent in combination with chemotherapy can elevate response rate, prolong PFS with manageable toxicity, and correlate with P-gp expression in relapsed or refractory NHL.
Background The prognosis is poor for patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin＇s lymphoma （NHL）. The main reason for poor prognosis is multidrug resistance （MDR）, for which the main phenotype is overexpression of P-glycoprotein （P-gp）. This study explored the efficacy of ligustrazine as a salvage agent in patients with relapsed or refractory NHL, and the relationship to P-gp expression. Methods Sixty patients were randomized to a reversal agent group, receiving ligustrazine plus chemotherapy, and a control group, receiving chemotherapy alone. Flow cytometry was performed to evaluate P-gp expression. Results In the 56 patients we were able to evaluate, there was no statistically significant difference in progression-free survival （PFS） in the two groups （P=0.0651）, but the reversal agent group had a higher overall response rate （ORR） than did the control group （P=0.048）. Forty-one of 56 patients had P-gp（＋） tumor cells. Among these patients, six of eighteen patients in the reversal agent group and in the control group had complete remission or complete remission/unconfirmed （CR＋CRu） reflecting a significant advantage in the reversal agent group （P=0.048）. Patients with P-gp（＋） tumor cells in the reversal agent group had a higher overall response rate （ORR） than did the control group （11/18 vs. 6/23, P=0.024）. Kaplan-Meier Survival curve and log-rank test demonstrated that patients with P-gp（＋） tumor cells in the reversal agent group had longer progression-free survival than did the control group （P=0.0464）. A small number of patients who received ligustrazine had a decrease in blood pressure. Conclusion Ligustrazine as a salvage agent in combination with chemotherapy can elevate response rate, prolong PFS with manageable toxicity, and correlate with P-gp expression in relapsed or refractory NHL.
基金
This study was supported by a grant from the Province Natural Science Foundation of Shandong （No. Y2007C 148）.
