title: Characterization of the Microenvironment of Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma.
abstract: Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) is characterized by a low percentage of neoplastic lymphocyte predominant (LP) cells in a background of lymphocytes. The goal of this study is to characterize the microenvironment in NLPHL. Ten NLPHL cases and seven reactive lymph nodes (RLN) were analyzed by flow cytometry for the main immune cells and multiple specific subpopulations. To discriminate between cells in or outside the tumor cell area, we used CD26. We observed significantly lower levels of CD20+ B-cells and CD56+ NK cells and higher levels of CD4+ T-cells in NLPHL in comparison to RLN. In the subpopulations, we observed increased numbers of PD-1+CD4+ T follicular helper cells (TFH), CD69+CD4+ and CD69+CD8+ T-cells and CCR7-CD45RA-CD4+ effector memory T-cells, while FoxP3+CD4+ T regulatory cells (Tregs) and CCR7-CD45RA+ terminally differentiated CD4+ T-cells were decreased in NLPHL compared to RLN. CD69+ cells were increased in the tumor cell area in CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells, while FoxP3+CD25+CD4+ Tregs and CD25+CD8+ T-cells were significantly increased outside the tumor area. Thus, we show a markedly altered microenvironment in NLPHL, with lower numbers of NK cells and Tregs. PD-1+CD4+ and CD69+ T-cells were located inside, and Tregs and CD25+CD8+ cells outside the tumor cell area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700RB Groningen, The Netherlands. l.visser@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700RB Groningen, The Netherlands. b.rutgers@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Bea
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rutgers
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700RB Groningen, The Netherlands. a.diepstra@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Arjan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diepstra
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700RB Groningen, The Netherlands. a.van.den.berg01@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sattarzadeh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: T-cells; flow cytometry; microenvironment; nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma