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Expression of CD8β and alteration of cell surface phenotype in adult T‐cell leukaemia cells
Author(s) -
Joh Tatsuroh,
Yamada Yasuaki,
Seto Masao,
Kamihira Shimeru,
Tomonaga Masao
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2141.1997.1853002.x
Subject(s) - phenotype , cd8 , cell , cytotoxic t cell , biology , immunology , cancer research , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , in vitro , immune system , gene
Typical adult T‐cell leukaemia (ATL) cells have a CD4 + CD8 − cell surface phenotype, but atypical phenotypes such as CD4 + CD8 + and CD4 − CD8 + have also been reported. The CD8 molecule is composed of α and β chains and commonly used monoclonal antibodies against CD8 molecule detect only CD8α. Since it has been reported that CD8α can be induced in mature CD4 + T cells by cell activation, but not CD8β, we studied whether ATL cells which express CD8α may also express CD8β. We found some cases of CD8α + ATL were also positive for CD8β. Furthermore, we experienced a case whose ATL cell surface phenotype changed from CD4 + CD8α + CD8β + to CD4 − CD8α + CD8β + and finally to CD4 + CD8α − CD8β − . Southern blot analysis revealed that the monoclonal integration of human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV‐I) was identical throughout the course of the study, indicating that a single clone had demonstrated the alterations. These data suggest that peripheral CD4 + CD8 + ATL cells can express not only CD8α, but also CD8β and that a single ATL cell clone has the potential to change its surface phenotype in vivo as well as in vitro .