Abstract: Background and purpose: The prognostic capability of traditional prognostic index like follicular lymphoma international prognostic index (FLIPI) is limited in the rituximab era. This study was to investigate the prognostic significance of peripheral blood absolute lymphocyte count/absolute monocyte count (ALC/AMC) in Chinese patients with follicular lymphoma (FL). Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed 136 newly diagnosed FL patients who received rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (R-CHOP)-like chemotherapy in Department of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital from Jan. 2003 to Dec. 2013, and further classified these patients according to FLIPI scoring system. Results: According to FLIPI, 61 patients (44.9%) were stratified into the low-risk (0-1 points) group, 42 cases (30.9%) into the intermediate-risk (2 points) group, and 33 cases (24.2%) into the high-risk (3-5 points) group. The overall response rate and 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) of the 3 risk groups were 88.5%, 95.2%, and 78.8% (P=0.090), and 91.4%, 74.6%, and 47.8% (log-rank=23.3，P<0.001), respectively. The overall response rate and 2-year PFS for patients with ALC/AMC≥4.7 and <4.7 were 91.9%, 68.6% (P=0.005) and 96.0%, 69.7% (log-rank=13.0, P<0.001), respectively. In the multivariate study, ALC/AMC≥4.7 was independent of FLIPI and was able to distinguish the FLIPI low-risk and intermediate-risk patients (log-rank=7.535, P=0.006). Conclusion: For FL patients treated with R-CHOPlike regimens, ALC/AMC is a simple and effective biomarker reflecting tumor microenvironment and human immunity, and could be considered for prognosis evaluation.

Key words: Follicular lymphoma, Absolute lymphocyte count/absolute monocyte count, Follicular lymphoma international prognostic index, Rituximab