Neuron-specific enolase (gamma enolase, gamma-gamma dimer) expression in Hodgkin's disease and large cell lymphomas.
BACKGROUND
The presence of gamma-enolase, gamma gamma dimer, or neuron-specific enolase (NSE) has been demonstrated in miscellaneous tumors, including malignant lymphomas. Up to now these results have been interpreted as non-specific, although NSE can be expressed by normal B and T lymphoid cells at a particular stage of differentiation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of NSE in a large series of malignant lymphomas, including Hodgkin's disease, in relation to morphology and immunophenotype.


METHODS
Frozen and paraffin embedded sections from 16 cases of Hodgkin's disease (4 lymphocyte predominance, nodular; 4 mixed cellularity; 6 nodular sclerosis; 2 lymphocyte depletion) and 35 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas were investigated in order to evaluate the expression of NSE, its specificity and correlation to immunophenotype or other immunological cell markers. Among the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, there were 9 Anaplastic Large Cell (CD30+) Lymphomas; 2 Peripheral Large T-Cell Lymphomas; 22 Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphomas and 2 Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphomas.


RESULTS
In Hodgkin's disease, NSE showed a diffuse cytoplasmic reaction in CD30+ Reed-Sternberg cells, whereas the "popcorn" (L&H) cells of lymphocyte predominance, nodular variant cases, were always negative. Among the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, NSE positivity was found only in lymphomas expressing CD30. All the other cases were negative. No relationship was found between NSE and B- or T-immunophenotype.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that a link between NSE and CD30 expression exists in malignant lymphomas. However, at the moment this has not been sufficiently investigated and is subject to speculation.
Massarelli
G
G
Institute of Anatomic Pathology and Histopathology, University of Sassari, Italy.
Onida
G A
GA
Piras
M A
MA
Marras
V
V
Mura
A
A
Tanda
F
F
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000378:metabolism; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D017730:Ki-1 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D017730:Ki-1 Antigen; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase