The utility of IMP3 immunohistochemical staining in differentiating nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma from T-Cell/Histiocyte-Rich large B-Cell lymphoma

INTRODUCTION: Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) and T cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma (THRLBCL) have overlapping histological features that make their diagnosis challenging. Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein 3 (IMP3) is a recently proposed diagnostic marker for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The aim of this study was to determine the ability of IMP3 in differentiating NLPHL from THRLBCL. METHODS: In this retrospective study, the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks from 56 patients (28 NLPHL and 28 large B cell lymphoma (LBCL, including 16 THRLBCL and 12 DLBCL, NOS) cases based on immunohistochemistry (IHC) were included. Sample sections were stained for IMP3 using IHC method. Moderate to strong staining in at least 10% of tumor cells was considered positive IMP3 expression. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 41.25 ± 16.08 years old. The majority of the patients were male. There was a significant age difference between NLPHL (34.61 ± 16.44 years old) and LBCL (47.89 ± 12.85 years) groups (p = 0.001). No significant difference was seen in gender and site between NLPHL and LBCL groups. The expression of IMP3 was mainly strong in LBCL group, while it was heterogeneously distributed among NLPHL samples ranging from weak to strong (p < 0.001). It was determined that strong IMP3 expression at 55.00% can differentiate LBCL from NLPHL with 71.4% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that IMP3 may be a good complement in differentiating NLPHL cases from THRLBCL.