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Varied B‐cell immunophenotypes of Hodgkin/Reed–Sternberg cells in classic Hodgkin's disease
Author(s) -
Kazuko Watanabe,
Yoshihisa Yamashita,
Atsuo Nakayama,
Yoshinori Hasegawa,
Hiroshi Kojima,
Toshiro Nagasawa,
Naoyoshi Mori
Publication year - 2000
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.1365-2559.2000.00830.x
Subject(s) - nodular sclerosis , reed–sternberg cell , cd20 , germinal center , cd19 , pathology , b cell , lymphoma , antigen , biology , medicine , immunology , antibody , hodgkin lymphoma
Aims Recent analyses have suggested that Hodgkin's or Reed–Sternberg (HRS) cells in most cases of classic Hodgkin's disease are derived from germinal centre B‐cells. However, there is controversy over which B‐cell antigens are expressed in HRS cells. Methods and results We studied 51 cases of classic Hodgkin's disease to immunohistochemically characterize HRS cells for pan‐B‐cell markers and specific markers for plasma cells. HRS cells expressed CD20 (L26) in 18 cases (35%), CD19 (B4) in nine (18%) and CD79a (mb‐1) in 13 (25%). Furthermore, HRS cells were positive for CD138 (B‐B4) in 24 cases (45%) and for PCA‐1 in 24 (45%). In 41 (80%) cases, HRS cells expressed more than one B‐cell marker. We then subclassified cases into those positive for plasma cell markers ( n = 27) (group 1) and those negative for them ( n = 24) (group 2). The average age in group 1 (40 years) was younger than in group 2 (54 years) ( P < 0.05). The percentage of nodular sclerosis (NS) subtype in group 1 (52%) was 1.5 times greater than in group 2 (33%) ( P < 0.05). With regard to Epstein–Barr virus encoded small RNA (EBER) in‐situ hybridization, 14 cases (64%) were positive in group 2, but only seven cases (31%) were positive in group 1 ( P < 0.025). Conclusion In most cases of classic Hodgkin's disease, HRS cells expressed later stage of B‐cell development. We consider that two different clinicopathological groups may correlate with the two different expressions of B‐cell markers.