The neoplastically transformed (CD30hi) Marek's disease lymphoma cell phenotype most closely resembles T-regulatory cells.
BACKGROUND
Marek's disease (MD), a herpesvirus-induced lymphoma of chickens is a unique natural model of CD30-overexpressing (CD30hi) lymphoma. We have previously proposed that the CD30hi neoplastically transformed CD4+ T cells in MD lymphomas have a phenotype antagonistic to cell mediated immunity. Here were test the hypothesis that the CD30hi neoplastically transformed MD lymphoma cells have a phenotype more closely resembling T-helper (Th)-2 or regulatory T (T-reg) cells.


METHODS
We separated ex vivo-derived CD30hi, from the CD30lo/- (non-transformed), MD lymphoma cells and then quantified the relative amounts of mRNA and proteins for cytokines and other genes that define CD4+ Th-1, Th-2 or T-reg phenotypes.


CONCLUSIONS
Gene Ontology-based modeling of our data shows that the CD30hi MD lymphoma cells having a phenotype more similar to T-reg. Sequences that could be bound by the MD virus putative oncoprotein Meq in each of these genes' promoters suggests that the MD herpesvirus may play a direct role in maintaining this T-reg-like phenotype.
Shack
L A
LA
Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Wise Center, Mississippi State University, Spring Street, Box 6100, Mississippi State, MS 39762-6100, USA.
Buza
J J
JJ
Burgess
S C
SC
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002469:Cell Separation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D002645:Chickens; D019295:Computational Biology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D017730:Ki-1 Antigen / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008380:Marek Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D018448:Models, Immunological; D010641:Phenotype; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D016207:Cytokines; D017730:Ki-1 Antigen; D012333:RNA, Messenger