title: Preferential expression of the mucosal homing receptor integrin alpha 4 beta 7 in gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.
abstract: Recent studies have identified the integrin alpha 4 beta 7 as a mucosal homing receptor that mediates lymphocyte migration to the intestinal mucosa by binding to MAdCAM-1, a vascular recognition molecule (addressin) selectively expressed on mucosal endothelium. In the present study, we have assessed the expression of alpha 4 beta 7 on B- and T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of different primary localization and on related normal lymphocytes. Among B-lineage lymphomas, expression of alpha 4 beta 7 was present in the majority of cases of malignant lymphomatous polyposis of the intestine and low-grade lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue/monocytoid B-cell lymphoma and in some cases of precursor B-cell lymphoma. CLL/small lymphocytic lymphoma, (nodal) mantle cell lymphoma, follicular center cell lymphoma, Burkitt's lymphoma, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma were virtually always alpha 4 beta 7 negative, as was the case when localized in the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. The normal B cells of the follicle mantles and part of the B cells of the extrafollicular B-cell compartment of lymphoid tissues expressed moderate levels of alpha 4 beta 7. By contrast, follicular center cells were alpha 4 beta 7 negative. Among T-lineage lymphomas, expression of alpha 4 beta 7 was also strongly related to the primary localization; in mucosal, nodal, and cutaneous T cell lymphomas the percentage of positive cases was 56%, 17%, and 0%, respectively. All cases of precursor T-cell lymphoma were alpha 4 beta 7 negative. High expression of alpha 4 beta 7 was found on a subset of peripheral blood memory T cells as well as on lymphocytes in the intestinal mucosa. We conclude that non-Hodgkin's lymphomas that are related to mucosa-associated B- and T-lymphocyte populations selectively express the mucosal homing receptor alpha 4 beta 7. The presence of this receptor underscores their distinctive character and may play an important role in determining their characteristic mucosal dissemination pattern.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Drillenburg
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van der Voort
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koopman
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dragosics
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: van Krieken
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kluin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meenan
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Lazarovits
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Radaszkiewicz
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Pals
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D009088:Mucoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D007136:Immunoglobulins; C504265:MADCAM1 protein, human; D009088:Mucoproteins; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing