Expression of lymphocyte homing receptor as a mechanism of dissemination in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Abstract

To investigate whether the lymphocyte homing receptor (LHR), an adhesion molecule believed to play an important role in the control of normal lymphocyte circulation, influences the spread of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), expression of LHR was examined in 107 NHL of various histologic and immunophenotypic subclasses. This analysis revealed that whereas NHL with a putative derivation from recirculating mature T and B lymphocytes almost invariably express high levels of LHR, those akin to sessile mature or immature lymphocytes tend to express lower levels of LHR. Furthermore, in a survey among diffuse large-cell lymphomas of the B-lineage, the tumors of 11 of 13 patients with stage III/IV disease expressed moderate to high levels of LHR, whereas only two of 17 patients with stage I/II disease had tumors that did so. These findings suggest that LHR is involved in the dissemination of NHL.