title: Analysis of the platelet-type thrombin receptor in 20 cases of large granular lymphocyte proliferations.
abstract: The platelet-type thrombin receptor was expressed by large granular lymphocytes (LGLs) in a variety of proliferative diseases. Twenty patients with LGL proliferative disease were examined, including five T cell clones and a variety of polyclonal proliferations, some secondary to rheumatoid arthritis and Felty's syndrome; 17/20 showed high number of CD3+, CD8+, and CD57+ lymphocytes and 9/20 also had high numbers of CD16+ or CD 56+ positive lymphocytes. The thrombin receptor was present on more than 20% of the LGLs in 13/20 patients. The clonal T cell expansions showed the highest receptor expression with greater than 75% cells positive. Regression analysis of all 20 cases showed striking and highly statistically significant positive Spearman rank correlation between the proportion of thrombin receptor and CD57-positive LGLs (r = 0.56, P = 0.009). A negative correlation with CD56 was also found (r = -0.46, P= 0.043). Dual antibody flow cytometry showed the receptor was more often co-expressed with CD57 (64%) than with CD16 (19%) or CD56 (11%). The expression of the platelet-type thrombin receptor by LGLs of this phenotype raises the possibility of a functional role for thrombin in the pathogenesis of LGL proliferative diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, UK.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Macey
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Howells
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Newland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000906:Antibodies; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000502:physiology*; D018959:CD57 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D015703:Antigens, CD; D018959:CD57 Antigens; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin