Background: The aim of the present study was to analyse the expression of adhesion molecules in childhood non-Hodgkin lymphomas and to correlate the findings with clinical features and prognosis.
Procedure: Samples were obtained from pleural and peritoneal fluids, bone marrow aspirates, and tissue biopsies from 21 patients (median age: 8 years). There were 9 T-cell and 12 B-cell lymphomas. The expression of CD18, CD44s, CD54, CD62L were investigated with flow cytometry by using monoclonal antibodies.
Results: Absence of CD18, which was independent from immunophenotype, was found in 67% of patients. Positive CD44s and CD62L expression were observed in 48 and 63% of the cases, respectively. In all of the cases with T-cell lymphoma, CD54 was negative, whereas 8 of 12 cases with B-cell lymphoma expressed this molecule (P = 0.005). There was no correlation between location of disease and the expression of adhesion molecules, except CD54 that was negative in all mediasten lymphoma (P = 0.004). CD62L (+) patients had more frequently stage IV disease than CD62L (-) ones (P = 0.01). Two-year overall survival was 83 and 29% in CD18 (+) and CD18 (-) cases; 55 and 36% in CD44s (+) and CD44s (-) cases; 46 and 42% in CD54 (+) and CD54 (-) cases; 42 and 50% in CD62L (+) and CD62L (-) cases.
Conclusions: The expression of LFA-1 on lymphoblasts is lost in the majority of childhood non-Hodgkin lymphomas. ICAM-1 is not detected on neoplastic cells of patients with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. L-selectin positivity correlates with disseminated disease. There is no significant relationship between the expression of adhesion molecules and the survival rates, although CD18(+) cases had better overall survival rate than CD18(-) cases.
Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.