title: Cadherins in reactive lymph nodes and lymphomas: high expression in anaplastic large cell lymphomas.
abstract: Using a polyclonal pan-cadherin antibody and a monoclonal E-cadherin antibody (HECD-1) we have investigated cadherin expression in lymphomas and reactive lymph nodes. Routinely processed tissue from nine reactive lymph nodes and 48 lymphomas (six T-cell, six high-grade B-cell, 15 low-grade B-cell, 13 anaplastic large cell and eight Hodgkin's disease) were immunostained. The reactive cases showed pan-cadherin membrane associated staining of endothelium and epithelioid granulomas. No staining of lymphoid cells was seen. Pan-cadherin immunostaining was present in three of six T-cell lymphomas, two of six high-grade B-cell lymphomas, 12 of 13 anaplastic large cell lymphomas and three of eight cases of Hodgkin's disease. No staining of low-grade B-cell lymphomas was identified with the pan-cadherin antibody. E-cadherin was not detected in any of the lymphomas that showed pan-cadherin expression. The frequent and strongest cadherin expression in anaplastic large cell is noteworthy. The tumour cells of this lymphoma subtype are characterized by copious cytoplasma and a cohesive appearance, features which impart a superficial resemblance to carcinoma cells. Since cadherin molecules are known to have major morpho-regulatory functions our data suggests that the expression of cadherin molecules by anaplastic large cell lymphomas may play an important role in determining their characteristic epithelioid phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, University College London Medical School, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ashton-Key
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Cowley
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D017728:Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins