title: Familial CD3+ T large granular lymphocyte leukemia: evidence that genetic predisposition and antigen selection promote clonal cytotoxic T-cell responses.
abstract: CD3+ T-large granular lymphocyte (T-LGL) proliferations often present with cytopenias and splenomegaly and are linked to autoimmunity, especially rheumatoid arthritis and Felty's syndrome. We report here the intra-family occurrence of T-LGL leukemia in a father and son, both presenting with cytopenias and splenomegaly. Both patients carried the HLA-DRB1*04 allele, strongly associated with rheumatoid arthritis and Felty's syndrome, exhibited distinctive histopathological features suggestive of immune-mediated suppression of hematopoiesis and expressed a remarkably skewed T-cell receptor beta chain gene repertoire with overtime evolution (clonal drift). Immunoinformatics analysis and comparisons with clonotype sequences from various entities revealed (quasi)identities between (i) father and son, and (ii) father or son and patients with autoimmune disorders, T-LGL leukemia or chronic idiopathic neutropenia. Altogether, our results further corroborate antigen selection in the ontogeny of T-LGL leukemia and point to the interplay between genetics and the (micro)environment in shaping the outcome of cytotoxic T cell responses.
authors.affiliation: Hematology Department and HCT Unit, G. Papanicolaou Hospital , Thessaloniki , Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stalika
authors.forename: Apostolia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papalexandri
authors.forename: Michalis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iskas
authors.forename: Niki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stavroyianni
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kanellis
authors.forename: Konstantina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kotta
authors.forename: Charalambos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pontikoglou
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siorenta
authors.forename: Achilles
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anagnostopoulos
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Papadaki
authors.forename: Theodora
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Papadaki
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stamatopoulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D060966:Clonal Selection, Antigen-Mediated / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005190:Family; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D054066:Leukemia, Large Granular Lymphocytic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor
keywords: CDR3; T cell receptor; T-LGL leukemia; T-large granular lymphocyte; antigen; clonal drift