Expression of killer cell inhibitory receptors is restricted to true NK cell lymphomas and a subset of intestinal enteropathy-type T cell lymphomas with a cytotoxic phenotype

D F Dukers^,*, M H Vermeer^,*, L H Jaspars, C A Sander, M J Flaig, W Vos, R Willemze and C J L M Meijer

Departments of Pathology and Dermatology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Department of Dermatology, Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, 080337 Munich, Germany

Correspondence to:
Dr Dukers d.dukers{at}azvu.nl

Background/Aims—Killer inhibitory receptors (KIR) have a modulating effect on the cytotoxic functions of natural killer (NK) cells and T cells. Because lymphoma cells often have the same receptors as their non-neoplastic counterparts, this study investigated the expression of KIR on well defined groups of NK and T cell lymphomas, with and without a cytotoxic phenotype, from different sites of origin.

Methods—Nine CD56⁺/CD3^- NK cell lymphomas, 29 CD3⁺/CD56^- T cell lymphomas with a cytotoxic phenotype, and 19 T cell lymphomas without a cytotoxic phenotype were stained for KIR using monoclonal antibodies specific for CD94, CD158a, and CD158b. In addition, the expression of KIR was studied on normal lymphoid tissues.

Results—KIR expression was seen in five of nine true NK cell lymphomas including three of four nasal, one of four cutaneous, and one of one intestinal lymphoma nasal type. Double staining for CD56 and CD94 in normal lymphoid tissues revealed that KIR was predominantly expressed by CD56⁺ NK cells and sporadically on CD8⁺ T cells. Moreover, enteropathy-type T cell lymphomas with a cytotoxic phenotype showed KIR expression (three cases expressing CD94 and one case expressing CD158a). All nodal and extranodal non-intestinal T cell lymphomas with or without a cytotoxic phenotype lacked expression of KIR.

Conclusions—These results show that KIR expression is restricted to CD56⁺/CD3^- true NK cell lymphomas originating from the nose, gut, and skin, as well as in a subset of extranodal T cell lymphomas originating from the small intestine, which possessed a cytotoxic phenotype. Thus, the presence of KIR on NK/T cell lymphomas seems to mimic the distribution of KIR found on NK and T cells in normal lymphoid tissue.

Key Words: lymphoma • granzyme B • killer inhibitory receptors • CD94

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