Objective  The expression of CD30 in peripheral lymphoma T cell lymphoma, unspecified (PTCL-U) was analyzed, and the correlations between CD30 and clinical survival and prognosis were studied.

  Methods  The clinical and pathological indicators of 56 patients with PTCL-U, who were newly treated in The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2013 to December 2017, were obtained. Among the 56 patients, the male to female ratio was 1.7:1. The median age was 60 (16-76) years. The categorical variables were analyzed by the Chi-square test. Kaplan-Meier method was used for the survival analysis along with an assessment of the differences by Log-rank test. Logistic univariate analysis and Cox multivariate regression model analysis were used to analyze the indicators affecting survival.

  Results  The 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of 56 patients were 42.2% and 20.4%, respectively, and the progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 32.1% and 17.8%, respectively. The median overall survival (median-OS, mOS) was 31 months, and the median progressionfree survival (median-PFS, mPFS) was 11 months. The positive expression rate of CD30 in PTCL-U patients was 35.7%. The positive expression of CD30 was more common in advanced patients. The LDH level was increased, and the number of extra-nodal lesions was ≥2 in the middlehigh risk patients. Further, the initial treatment effects in the positive patients were not good (P < 0.05). Among the 56 patients, CHOP regimen and GDPT regimen were adopted for chemotherapy, and the two regimens showed no statistically significant effects on OS and PFS (P>0.05). The survivals in the CD30 positive and negative groups were as follows: the 3 years-OS were 16.5% and 54.9%, respectively (P=0.001); and the 3-years PFS were 11.2% and 44.5%, respectively (P=0.016). The univariate analysis showed that advanced disease, CD30-positivity, IPI/ aaIPI-high risk, and PIT-high risk (P>0.05) were adverse prognostic factors. The multivariate analysis showed that staging and PIT were correlated with survival.

  Conclusions  The expression of CD30 in PTCL-U was low, and the prognosis of the positive-expression group was poor. The positive expression was more associated with advanced disease, high level of LDH, and medium-high risk group. The positive group was more prone to extranodal involvement and the objective remission rate was lower. Staging, CD30, IPI/aaIPI, and PIT could affect the prognosis in these patients.