Interleukin 13 and interleukin 13 receptor are frequently expressed by Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells of Hodgkin lymphoma.
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is characterized by the abnormal expression of multiple cytokines, accounting for its unique clinicopathologic features. We have previously shown that interleukin-13 (IL-13) is secreted by HL cell lines and may serve as an autocrine growth factor. To determine the frequency of IL-13 expression in lymphoma patients, tissue sections from 36 patients with classical HL, 5 patients with nodular lymphocyte predominance HL (NLPHL), and 23 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) were subjected to in situ hybridization. In 31 of 36 cases (86%) of classical HL patients of all histologic subtypes, between 25% to almost 100% of Hodgkin and Reed Sternberg (HRS) cells were positive for IL-13 expression. In contrast, in no case of NLPHL and in only 4 of 23 NHL cases (1 of 5 T-cell-rich B-cell lymphomas, 2 of 5 anaplastic large cell lymphomas, and 1 of 5 peripheral T-cell lymphomas) did the neoplastic cells express IL-13. The expression of the IL-13 receptor chain alpha1 (IL-13Ralpha1) was also analyzed by in situ hybridization. In 24 of 27 (89%) cases of classical HL, between 25% to 75% of HRS cells, as well as a high frequency of lymphocytes and histiocytes, were positive for IL-13Ralpha1 expression. These results were confirmed by the construction of complementary DNA libraries from single HRS cells, followed by polymerase chain reaction analysis, in which IL-13Ralpha1 transcripts were found to be present in all 6 cases of HL. These data indicate that expression of IL-13 and IL-13Ralpha1 is a common feature of HRS cells in HL, consistent with the hypothesis that IL-13 may play a role in autocrine growth in classical HL.
Skinnider
B F
BF
Amgen Institute, Ontario Cancer Institute, the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Elia
A J
AJ
Gascoyne
R D
RD
Trümper
L H
LH
von Bonin
F
F
Kapp
U
U
Patterson
B
B
Snow
B E
BE
Mak
T W
TW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D015723:Gene Library; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000235:genetics*; D053661:Interleukin-13 Receptor alpha1 Subunit; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D053660:Receptors, Interleukin-13; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
C508181:IL13RA1 protein, human; D018793:Interleukin-13; D053661:Interleukin-13 Receptor alpha1 Subunit; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D053660:Receptors, Interleukin-13; D004247:DNA