AgNORs predictive value of prognosis in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma according to the Kiel classification.

Abstract

Application of the colloidal silver method for demonstration of argyrophilic proteins of nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) in histological sections of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) has been shown to be a helpful method for the discrimination of high- and low-grade NHL. In this study correlation between the mean number of AgNORs and other morphological and clinical parameters with survival in 58 patients with NHL, classified according to the Kiel classification, was investigated. It was shown that the mean number of AgNORs differed between the low- and high-grade group of NHLs (P < 0.001), as did survival (P < 0.0001). The mean number of AgNORs was also highly significant when describing actuarial survival. The value of 2.9 NORs per nuclei was the cut-point for separating the whole group into two subgroups, which differed the most when related to survival of patients with NHL.