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Cadherins in reactive lymph nodes and lymphomas: high expression in anaplastic large cell lymphomas
Author(s) -
ASHTONKEY M.,
COWLEY G.P.,
SMITH M.E.F.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
histopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.626
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1365-2559
pISSN - 0309-0167
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2559.1996.266305.x
Subject(s) - anaplastic large cell lymphoma , pathology , large cell , lymphoma , cadherin , immunostaining , lymph , biology , immunohistochemistry , cell , medicine , cancer , adenocarcinoma , genetics
Using a polyclonal pan‐cadherin antibody and a monoclonal E‐cadherin antibody (HECD‐1) we have investigated cadherin expression in lymphomas and reactive lymph nodes. Routinely processed tissue from nine reactive lymph nodes and 48 lymphomas (six T‐cell, six high‐grade B‐cell, 15 low‐grade B‐cell, 13 anaplastic large cell and eight Hodgkin’s disease) were immunostained. The reactive cases showed pan‐cadherin membrane associated staining of endothelium and epithelioid granulomas. No staining of lymphoid cells was seen. Pan‐cadherin immunostaining was present in three of six T‐cell lymphomas, two of six high‐grade B‐cell lymphomas, 12 of 13 anaplastic large cell lymphomas and three of eight cases of Hodgkin’s disease. No staining of low‐grade B‐cell lymphomas was identified with the pan‐cadherin antibody. E‐cadherin was not detected in any of the lymphomas that showed pan‐cadherin expression. The frequent and strongest cadherin expression in anaplastic large cell is noteworthy. The tumour cells of this lymphoma subtype are characterized by copious cytoplasm and a cohesive appearance, features which impart a superficial resemblance to carcinoma cells. Since cadherin molecules are known to have major morpho‐regulatory functions our data suggests that the expression of cadherin molecules by anaplastic large cell lymphomas may play an important role in determining their characteristic epithelioid phenotype.