title: Loss of CD7, independent of galectin-3 expression, implies a worse prognosis in adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Loss of CD7 is characteristic of adult T-cell lymphoma/leukaemia (ATLL). Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is strongly induced in cultured human T lymphotropic virus-1-infected T lymphocytes, and may cause apoptosis through interaction with CD7. The aim was to investigate the clinical relevance of the Gal-3-CD7 pathway in ATLL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunohistochemistry for Gal-3 and CD7 was performed on 22 cases of ATLL in the leukaemic phase. We found that the lymphoma cells were not necessarily Gal-3+, but Gal-3+ stromal cells could always be found. Independent of the status of Gal-3, there was an association of loss of CD7 with a worse prognosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that, by down-regulating CD7, ATLL cells could have escaped Gal-3-induced apoptosis to run a more aggressive clinical course.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ting-Yun
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chien-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hwei-Fang
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Tien
authors.forename: Chung-Wu
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019011:Antigens, CD7 / Q000378:metabolism*; D017209:Apoptosis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D019011:Antigens, CD7; D037502:Galectin 3