A CD2+ subset of non-malignant peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with Sézary syndromes overexpress the low-molecular-weight GTP-binding protein Rab2

Abstract

The Rab branch of the Ras-related GTP/GDP-binding proteins currently includes at least 25 related members which are involved in the intracellular vesicular transport along the secretory and endocytic pathways in eukaryotic cells. The overexpression of the Rab2 protein in peripheral mononuclear cells is demonstrated from 13 out of 17 patients exhibiting a Sézary syndrome. Moreover, this phenomenon is detectable in other lymphoid and myeloid malignancies. Several lines of evidence are shown suggesting that the Rab2 overexpression can be related not to leukemic cells but to a subset of peripheral lymphocytes with a CD2+ phenotype. Our results provides strong evidence for the implication of a small GDP/GTP-binding protein in immunological events associated with neoplastic states. The precise cellular population involved in this process remains to be determined.