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NK-cell-associated receptor expression in hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma, insights into pathogenesis

Leukemia volume 20, pages 883–886 (2006)Cite this article

A causal link between persistent activation of a lymphoid compartment and the occurrence of lymphoma is best established in extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type. The contribution of such factors to T-cell neoplasia is unclear, although immunophenotypic attributes of T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-LGL) indicate that this disease is derived from antigen-stimulated cytotoxic T cells.1 These attributes include the expression of natural killer (NK) –cell-associated receptors (NKRs), a group of proteins broadly divided into the CD94/NKG2 heterodimer and the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) types that are normally present on NK-cells and a subset of memory cytotoxic T cells.2 Non-hepatosplenic γδ T-cell lymphomas are another group of cytotoxic T-cell malignancies that have been associated with chronic antigen exposure.3 The role of antigenic stimulation in the etiology of hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL), a disorder of cytotoxic T cells that is frequently, but not exclusively, of γδ lineage, is unclear.4 There have been few studies of the NKR expression in this disease. Given the possible contribution of antigenic stimulation to the development of cytotoxic T-cell malignancies, we examined NKR expression in a group of seven HSTCL cases.

Flow cytometric immunophenotyping (FCIP) studies using antibodies to T- and NK-cell-associated antigens were performed on involved peripheral blood (n=3; cases 3, 4, and 5) or bone marrow (n=4) aspirate specimens.1 In all HSTCL cases, an immunophenotypically aberrant CD3-positive T-cell population was detected; three expressed αβ TCR, the remaining four were γδ TCR positive (Table 1). In six cases, the abnormal T cells showed complete absence of CD5 expression; diminished CD7 expression was also frequent (n=4). Four HSTCLs were CD8 positive by FCIP; all showed either dim or partial expression of this antigen. In three of these cases, CD8 expression was also studied by paraffin immunohistochemistry and none were positive by this technique; these differences likely reflect the greater sensitivity of FCIP.

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  1. Division of Hematopathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    W G Morice, W R Macon, A Dogan, C A Hanson & P J Kurtin

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  1. W G Morice
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  2. W R Macon
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  3. A Dogan
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  4. C A Hanson
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Morice, W., Macon, W., Dogan, A. et al. NK-cell-associated receptor expression in hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma, insights into pathogenesis. Leukemia 20, 883–886 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404168

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