Significance of VLA-4 and LFA-1 Expressions in Neoplastic Follicle Formation and Its Deterioration in B-Cell Non-Hodgkin’ s Lymphomas

Abstract

In an attempt to determine the roles of adhesion molecules in the formation and deterioration of neoplastic follicles, we used flow cytometry to investigate how strongly neoplastic B-cells express VLA-4α and LFA-lα on their surfaces. Neoplastic and normal B-cells were taken from 24 patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (B-NHL) and 6 with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). The expression intensities of the adhesion molecules were graded as follows: (-), (+), (it) and (++). Normal B-cells expressed those molecules with an intensity of (++). The data for VLA-4α expression were as follows: follicular B-NHL [10/ 11; (++) and 1/11; (+)], partially follicular [5/5; (+)I, diffuse [8/8; (+)I and B-CLL [6/6; (-)I. Those for LFA-lα were as follows: follicular B-NHL [7/11; (++), 4/11; (+)I, partially follicular [3/5; (++), 2/5; (+)I, diffuse [3/8; (++), 5/8; (+)I and B-CLL [3/6; (+), 3/6; (-)I. These results suggest that VLA-4 molecules expressed on neoplastic B-cells may be involved closely in the formation and deterioration of neoplastic follicles, although the expression of LFA-1 molecules seems to play only a minor part in such events.

Key Words:

• B-cell lymphoma
• neoplastic follicle
• VLA-4
• LFA-1