P glycoprotein expression in fine needle aspiration specimens from lymp nodes of non-hodgkin’s lymphoma

We studied P glycoprotein (Pgp) expression by testing fine needle aspiration specimens from lymp nodes with C- 494 antibody using an immunocytochemical assay in 30 cases of hlstologically proven non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) at diagnosis and after three courses of chemotherapy. Pgp expression was detected İn two of eight patients with stage l-ll, 10 of 22 patients with stage lll-IV at diagnosis and in one of two patients with stage l-ll, three of eight patients with stage lll-IV after chemotherpy. The stage of disease, the presence of B symptoms, the rate of response to treatment and duration of overall survival showed no significant difference between the group of Pgp negative patients ad the group of Pgp positive patients. İn conclucion we suggest that Pgp expression alone can not explain the treatment of chemotherapy resistance in NHL probably due to multifuctorial mechanisms of drug resistance.