Heterogenous expression of CD15 in acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a study of ten anti-CD15 monoclonal antibodies in 158 patients

Interaction of acute lymphopblastic leukemia cells with C-type lectins DC-SIGN and L-SIGN

The C-type lectins DC-SIGN (CD209) and L-SIGN (CD299) recognize defined carbohydrates expressed on pathogens and cells. Those lectins are expressed on dendritic cells (DC) and/or on liver-sinusoidal endothelial cells. Both cell types modulate immune responses. In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), aberrant glycosylation of blast cells can alter their interaction with the C-type lectins DC-SIGN and L-SIGN, thereby affecting their immunological elimination. We investigated whether recombinant DC-SIGN and L-SIGN bind to blood or bone marrow cells from B- and T-ALL patients and compared that with binding of peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy donors. It was found that increased binding of ALL cells to DC-SIGN and L-SIGN was observed compared to cells from healthy donors. Furthermore, L-SIGN bound a higher percentage of leukemic and normal cells than DC-SIGN. B-ALL bone marrow cells showed the highest binding to L-SIGN. DC-SIGN bound equally well to B-ALL and T-ALL cells. Within ALL subtypes, DC-SIGN binding was higher with mature T-ALL. Interestingly, our data demonstrate that increased binding of DC-SIGN and L-SIGN to peripheral leukemic cells from B-ALL patients is associated with poor survival. These data demonstrate that high binding of B-ALL peripheral blood cells to DC-SIGN and L-SIGN correlates with poor prognosis. Apparently, when B-ALL cells enter the blood circulation and are able to interact with DC-SIGN and L-SIGN the immune response is shifted toward tolerance. Additional studies are necessary to ascertain the possible role of these results in terms of disease pathogenesis and their potential as target to eradicate leukemic cells.

Frequent but nonrandom expression of myeloid markers on de novo childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The expression of the myeloid markers CD13, CD33, and CD15 in two hundred and eighty-three cases of de novo childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is examined. The expression of at least one marker is a frequent event which is noted in 64% and 74% of B- and T-lineage ALL cases, respectively. Certain patterns of myeloid antigen expression can be recognized including: no expression of CD13, CD33, and CD15 in mature B-ALL, significantly higher levels of CD13 and CD33 and significantly lower levels of CD15 in TEL-AML1-positive B cell precursor ALL, no expression of CD13 and CD33 in E2A-PBX1-positive B cell precursor ALL cases and common T-ALL (double positive for CD4 and CD8), and no expression of CD13 in MLL-AF4-positive B cell precursor ALL cases. Although the numbers in some ALL subtypes are small, these patterns are consistent with nonrandom expression of myeloid markers in de novo childhood ALL.