Phenotypic, functional and molecular analysis of CD3- LGL expansions indicates a relationship to two different CD3- normal counterparts.
In this study we have analysed the CD3 and TCR transcript expression in three CD3- large granular lymphocyte (LGL) expansions. These LGL populations show a heterogenous attern of expression for CD2, CD8, CD16, CD56 and CD57 antigens. LGL1 is CD2+CD8-CD16+CD56+CD57+, while LGL2 is CD2-CD8+CD16-CD56-CD57-; LGL3 is similar to LGL1, except for CD8 antigen expression. Functional analysis has revealed a different behaviour of these LGL expansions in a cytotoxicity assay against the NK-sensitive K562 cell line. LGL1 and 3 display a significant NK-like activity, while LGL2 is inefficient against K562 target cells. TCR and CD3 transcript characterization of LGL expansions 1 and 3 showed that they expressed multiple TCR delta transcripts, a non-functional TCR beta transcript, CD3-zeta and -epsilon mRNA, but they lacked CD3 delta transcript and they lacked or expressed at very low levels of CD3 gamma transcript. On the other hand, LGL2 expressed TCR delta, CD3-gamma, -epsilon and -zeta transcripts, while it lacked CD3 delta mRNA. On the basis of these data, LGL1 and 3 seem to be closely related to peripheral blood mature natural killer (NK) cells, whereas LGL2 displays a pattern of TCR and CD3 expression similar to that found in CD1-2-3-4-8-16-thymocytes.
Cantoni
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C
Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy.
de Totero
D
D
Lauria
F
F
Raspadori
D
D
Conte
R
R
Ferrini
S
S
Tazzari
P L
PL
Biassoni
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000235:genetics*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D015703:Antigens, CD; D017252:CD3 Complex; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell