title: Venular endothelium binding molecules CD44 and LECAM-1 in normal and malignant B-cell populations. A comparative study.
abstract: Lymphocytes leave the blood via post-capillary venules by binding initially to their specialized endothelium. CD44 is a 80-90 kDa hyaluronate-binding glycoprotein involved in binding to endothelium of high endothelial venules (HEV). LECAM-1 is a 75-85 kDa glycoprotein with lectin activity interacting with human peripheral lymph node vascular addressin (PNAd) on HEV. This immunohistochemical study shows that CD44 and LECAM-1 are essentially coordinately expressed on B-lymphocytes. The mode and level of CD44/LECAM-1 expression dissect the peripheral B-cell development into stages that are closely linked to morphologically defined B-cell compartments. Although statistically correlated in B-cell leukaemias (p < 0.0009) and extranodal B-cell lymphomas (p < 0.003), expression of both molecules was less stringently coordinated in 127 B-cell neoplasms examined. B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, hairy cell leukaemia and mantle zone lymphoma were CD44/LECAM-1 positive, thus corresponding to their reactive counterparts. Correspondingly, follicular centre cell-derived lymphomas were devoid of both markers. Conversely, CD44 and LEC-AM-1 were infrequently detectable in extranodal malignant B-cell neoplasms, irrespective of their maturational state. Presence versus absence of CD44 and LECAM-1, alone or together, determined neither the leukaemic versus aleukaemic state nor the nodal versus extranodal tumour-forming phenotype of a B-cell tumour.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University of Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eichelmann
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Leithäuser
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mechtersheimer
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Otto
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D019041:L-Selectin; D015448:Leukemia, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing; D019041:L-Selectin