title: Follicular dendritic cells in follicular lymphoma and types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma show reduced expression of CD23, CD35 and CD54 but no association with clinical outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Follicular dendritic cells (FDC) are specialized antigen-presenting cells found exclusively in the germinal centre (GC), which can be detected in B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) as reactive bystander cells. Recently, gene expression profiling has revealed that FDC networks might be associated with clinical outcome in follicular lymphoma. The aim was to characterize FDC in NHL and to evaluate a possible association with outcome in follicular lymphoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The extent and immunophenotype of FDC was determined semi-quantitatively in reactive GC and NHL (follicular lymphoma, angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma) using fluorescence double staining and digital image analysis. In all NHL tested CD23 and CD35 and CD54 were expressed at relatively low levels on FDC, comparable to FDC found in the dark zone of the GC. However, the extent of FDC networks did not correlate with the clinical outcome of 102 patients with follicular lymphomas treated within a prospectively randomized trial.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FDC found in different types of NHL show quantitatively reduced expression of several proteins, suggesting that there are functional differences between FDC in normal GC and NHL. The extent of the FDC networks in follicular lymphoma is not useful as a prognostic marker.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hematopathology Section and Lymph Node Registry, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Mi Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hoster
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dreyling
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unterhalt
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hiddemann
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Klapper
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001706:Biopsy; D020566:Dendritic Cells, Follicular / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000379:methods; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D017463:Receptors, Complement 3b / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D017455:Receptors, IgE / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; C509991:CR1 protein, human; D017463:Receptors, Complement 3b; D017455:Receptors, IgE; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1