title: Expression of inhibitory receptor ILT3 on neoplastic B cells is associated with lymphoid tissue involvement in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
abstract: T cell responses against leukemia-associated antigens have been reported in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, the relentless accumulation of CLL B cells in some patients indicates that anti-tumor immune responses are inefficient. Inhibitory receptors from the Ig-like transcript (ILT) family, such as ILT3 and ILT4, are crucial to the tolerogenic activity of antigen presenting cells. In this study, we examined the expression of ILT3 on CD5+ B cells obtained from 47 patients with CLL. Using flow cytometry and RT-PCR, we found that B CLL cells from 23 of 47 patients expressed ILT3 protein and mature ILT3 mRNA. ILT3 protein and mRNA were not found in normal B cells obtained from donors without CLL. Expression of ILT4 in normal and B CLL cells showed a pattern similar to ILT3. The frequency of ILT3 positive CLL B cells was higher in patients with lymphoid tissue involvement, suggesting that ILT3 may have prognostic value in CLL. Our findings indicate that expression of ILT3 and ILT4 on CLL B cells represents a phenotypic abnormality that may play a role in tolerization of tumor-specific T cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. aic4@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Adriana I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Colovai
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tetsunori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: Julie G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Menes
authors.forename: Govind
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bhagat
authors.forename: Bachir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alobeid
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suciu-Foca
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018956:CD5 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping / Q000379:methods; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018956:CD5 Antigens; C491341:LILRB2 protein, human; C107907:LILRB4 protein, human; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic