Human embryonal epithelial cells of the developing small intestinal crypts can express the Hodgkin-cell associated antigen Ki-1 (CD30) in spontaneous abortions during the first trimester of gestation.
BACKGROUND
Ki-1 (CD30) antigen expression is not found on peripheral blood cells but its expression can be induced in vitro on T and B lymphocytes by viruses and lectins. Expression of CD30 in normal tissues is very limited, being restricted mainly to a subpopulation of large lymphoid cells; in particular, cells of the recently described anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), the Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells of Hodgkin's lymphoma and scattered large parafollicular cells in normal lymphoid tissues. More recent reports have described CD30 expression in non-hematopoietic and malignant cells such as cultured human macrophages, human decidual cells, histiocytic neoplastic cells, mesothelioma cells, embryonal carcinoma and seminoma cells.


RESULTS
We investigated the immunohistochemical expression of CD30 antigen in 15 paraffin-embedded tissue samples representing small intestines from fetuses after spontaneous abortion in the 8th, 10th and 12th weeks using the monoclonal antibody Ki-1. Hormones had been administered to all our pregnant women to support gestation. In addition, a panel of monoclonal antibodies was used to identify leukocytes (CD45/LCA), B-lymphocytes (CD20/L-26) and T-lymphocytes (CD3). Our findings were correlated with those obtained simultaneously from intestinal tissue samples obtained from 15 fetuses after therapeutic or voluntary abortions.


CONCLUSIONS
The results showed that: (1) epithelial cells in the developing intestinal crypts express the CD30 (Ki-1) antigen; (2) CD30 expression in these epithelial cells is higher in cases of hormonal administration than in normal gestation. In the former cases (hormonal support of gestation) a mild mononuclear intraepithelial infiltrate composed of CD3 (T-marker)-positive cells accompanies the CD30-positive cells.
Tamiolakis
Demetrio
D
Department of Cytology, General Hospital of Chania, Crete, Greece. cyto@chaniahospital.gr
Venizelos
John
J
Lambropoulou
Maria
M
Nikolaidou
Silva
S
Bolioti
Sophia
S
Tsiapali
Maria
M
Verettas
Dionysios
D
Tsikouras
Panagiotis
P
Chatzimichail
Athanasios
A
Papadopoulos
Nikolas
N
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000378:metabolism*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D017730:Ki-1 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000378:metabolism*
D017730:Ki-1 Antigen