Distinct age‐matched serum biomarker profiles in patients with cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma

Immunological functions decline with age. Because MS/SzS predominately affects the elderly, it is important to distinguish age‐related from cancer‐specific changes. Also, MF and SzS are malignancies of CD4⁺ T‐lymphocytes, further compromising an immune state of the patients. The objectives of this study were to distinguish disease‐specific immunological deterioration by performing comparative age ‐ matched Luminex multiplex assessment of 34 serum biomarkers between patients with MF/SzS, HIV‐infected individuals and normal controls. Controlling for age, expression level appears to significantly differ between patients with MF/SzS and controls for the following biomarkers: G‐CSF, IL‐5, MIP‐1β, TNF‐α, VEGF, EOTAXIN, IL‐8, IL‐12, IL‐2R, IP10, MCP‐1, MIG, TNFR1 and TNFR2 (P < 0.05), while others showed normal age‐related changes. Interestingly, cluster analysis placed MF/SzS profiles closer to HIV. This further underscores an immunologically compromised state of patients with MF/SzS and suggests its potential self‐perpetuating role in disease progression.