Expression of FOXP3, CD68, and CD20 at Diagnosis in the Microenvironment of Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma Is Predictive of Outcome

Purpose The immune microenvironment is key to the pathophysiology of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL). Twenty percent of patients experience failure of their initial treatment, and others receive excessively toxic treatment. Prognostic scores and biomarkers have yet to influence outcomes significantly. Previous biomarker studies have been limited by the extent of tissue analyzed, statistical inconsistencies, and failure to validate findings. We aimed to overcome these limitations by validating recently identified microenvironment biomarkers (CD68, FOXP3, and CD20) in a new patient cohort with a greater extent of tissue and by using rigorous statistical methodology.