title: Natural killer cells in human peripheral blood and primary cutaneous natural killer cell lymphomas may express cutaneous lymphocyte antigen.
abstract: In normal human peripheral blood, cutaneous lymphocyte antigen is expressed by memory T cells, suggesting a specific tissue-homing population of T cells. In this study it is demonstrated that 6% of CD56 + natural killer cells in peripheral blood also express cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA). It was also detected that most of the tumor cells in primary cutaneous nasal-type natural killer cell lymphomas were CLA-positive, whereas primary nasal natural killer cell lymphomas were CLA-negative. Although natural killer cells traditionally are known to be non-specific immune cells without antigen specificity and little is known about the role of natural killer cells in skin diseases, the results of this study suggest the existence of a subset of skin-associated CLA+ CD56+ natural killer cells. These natural killer cells may be related to the pathogenesis of primary cutaneous natural killer cell lymphomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Mi-Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Won-Sin
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yoon-Koo
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Kee-Chan
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Jai-Kyoung
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Jee-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D019002:CD56 Antigen