Expression of B-cell antigens by Hodgkin's and Reed-Sternberg cells.
Twenty frozen and 55 paraffin sections of lymphnode specimens from 55 patients with pretreatment Hodgkin's disease (nodular sclerosis Hodgkin's disease, n = 45; mixed cellularity Hodgkin's disease, n = 10) were studied by immunohistochemistry and molecular analysis to determine the phenotype of Hodgkin's and Reed-Sternberg cells (HRS). In all cases the HRS cells were CD45-, and CD30+, and in 43/55 (78%) cases they were CD15+. In 48/55 cases (87%) HRS cells were reactive with at least one B-cell marker (CD19, CD20, CD22, CDw75, MB2), 8/55 cases (14.5%) showed reactivity (mainly cytoplasmic) of a subpopulation of HRS cells with the T-cell markers CD3 and beta F1. All cases that expressed T-cell antigens were also reactive with at least one B-cell marker. In frozen sections, a minority of HRS cells in each case studied showed cytoplasmic positivity for bcl-2 protein. Rearrangement of immunoglobulin heavy chain genes was detected in one case and of T-cell receptor beta chain genes in none. The authors were unable to confirm previous reports of bcl-2 gene rearrangement in Hodgkin's disease. The results strongly support a B lymphocytic origin of HRS cells.
Schmid
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Department of Histopathology, University College & Middlesex School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
Pan
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Diss
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Isaacson
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PG
D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D015321:Gene Rearrangement / Q000235:genetics; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
D000906:Antibodies; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D004247:DNA