title: Increased CCR4 expression in cutaneous T cell lymphoma.
abstract: Chemokines are critical molecules in leukocyte trafficking, promoting site-specific migration to various tissues. The chemokine receptor CCR4 has recently been associated with skin-homing T cells. In view of the potential importance of CCR4 in skin homing of T cells, we investigated the expression pattern of CCR4 and its ligands TARC/CCL17 and MDC/CCL22 in the peripheral blood and skin of patients with cutaneous T cell lymphoma, a putative malignancy of the skin-homing T cells. In this study we analyzed the pattern of coexpression of the skin-homing molecules cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA) and CCR4 in the blood and skin of patients with cutaneous T cell lymphoma. In the blood of cutaneous T cell lymphoma patients with peripheral blood involvement we found significantly increased percentages of T cells displaying the skin-homing phenotype (CLA+CCR4+) compared with healthy individuals. T cells expressing CLA and CCR4 were also found at high levels in cutaneous T cell lymphoma lesions along with abundant expression of the two CCR4 ligands TARC/CCL17 and MDC/CCL22. These data may explain, in part, why these T cells accumulate in the skin, a diagnostic feature of cutaneous T cell lymphomas.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ferenczi
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Fuhlbrigge
authors.forename: JackL
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pinkus
authors.forename: Geraldine S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Pinkus
authors.forename: Thomas S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kupper
mesh_terms: D054414:Chemokine CCL17; D054422:Chemokine CCL22; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D054398:Receptors, CCR4; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C106230:CCL17 protein, human; C515482:CCL22 protein, human; C515354:CCR4 protein, human; D054414:Chemokine CCL17; D054422:Chemokine CCL22; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D054398:Receptors, CCR4; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine