Differential and tumor-specific expression of CD160 in B-cell malignancies

• Published in: Blood Vol. 118; no. 8; pp. 2174 - 2183
• Main Authors: Farren, Timothy W., Giustiniani, Jerome, Liu, Feng-Ting, Tsitsikas, Dimitris A., Macey, Marion G., Cavenagh, James D., Oakervee, Heather E., Taussig, David, Newland, Adrian C., Calaminici, Maria, Bensussan, Armand, Jenner, Michael, Gribben, John G., Agrawal, Samir G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 25.08.2011; American Society of Hematology
• Subjects: Antigens, CD - genetics; Antigens, CD - metabolism; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Base Sequence; Biomarkers, Tumor - genetics; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Cohort Studies; DNA Primers - genetics; DNA, Neoplasm - genetics; Gene Expression; GPI-Linked Proteins - genetics; GPI-Linked Proteins - metabolism; Humans; Immunobiology; Immunohistochemistry; Leukemia, Hairy Cell - genetics; Leukemia, Hairy Cell - immunology; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell - genetics; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell - immunology; Lymphocytosis - genetics; Lymphocytosis - immunology; Lymphoid Neoplasia; Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell - genetics; Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell - immunology; Lymphoproliferative Disorders - diagnosis; Lymphoproliferative Disorders - genetics; Lymphoproliferative Disorders - immunology; Receptors, Immunologic - genetics; Receptors, Immunologic - metabolism
• ISSN: 0006-4971; 1528-0020
• DOI: 10.1182/blood-2011-02-334326

CD160 is a human natural killer (NK)-cell–activating receptor that is also expressed on T-cell subsets. In the present study, we examined 811 consecutive cases of B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (B-LPDs), and demonstrated CD160 expression in 98% (590 of 600) of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cases, 100% (32 of 32) of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) cases, 15% (5 of 34) of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in the leukemic phase, and 16% (23 of 145) of other B-LPD cases. CD160 transcript and protein were absent in the normal B-cell hierarchy, from stem cells, B-cell precursors, maturing B cells in the germinal center, and circulating B cells, including CD5+CD19+ B1 cells in umbilical cord. CD160 positivity was significantly higher in CLL and HCL in terms of percentage (65.9% and 67.8%, respectively, P < .0001) and median fluorescence intensity (552 and 857, respectively, P < .0001) compared with all other B-LPD cases. Lymph node CLL samples were also CD160+. Using the disease-specific expression of CD5, CD23, and CD160, a score of 3 characterized CLL (diagnostic odds ratio, 1430); a score of 0 excluded CLL, MCL, and HCL; and the CD23/CD5 ratio differentiated CLL from leukemic CD23+ MCL. In the B-cell lineage, CD160 is a tumor-specific antigen known to mediate cellular activation signals in CLL, and is a novel target for therapeutic manipulation and monitoring of minimal residual disease.