Fas-induced B cell apoptosis requires an increase in free cytosolic magnesium as an early event.
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Ligation of the Fas molecule expressed on the surface of a cell initiates multiple signaling pathways that result in the apoptotic death of that cell. We have examined Mg2+ mobilization as well as Ca2+ mobilization in B cells undergoing Fas-initiated apoptosis. Our results indicate that cytosolic levels of free (non-complexed) Mg2+ ([Mg2+]i) and Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) increase in cells undergoing apoptosis. Furthermore, the percentages of cells mobilizing Mg2+, fragmenting DNA, or externalizing phosphatidylserine (PS) increase in parallel as the concentration of anti-Fas monoclonal antibody is raised. Kinetic analysis suggests that Mg2+ mobilization is an early event in apoptosis, clearly preceding DNA fragmentation and probably occurring prior to externalization of PS as well. The source of Mg2+ that produces the increases in [Mg2+]i is intracellular and most likely is the mitochondria. Extended pretreatment of B cells with carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, an inhibitor of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, produces proportional decreases in the percentage of cells mobilizing Mg2+, fragmenting DNA, and externalizing PS in response to anti-Fas monoclonal antibody treatment. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that elevated [Mg2+]i is required for apoptosis. Furthermore, we propose that the increases in [Mg2+]i function not only as cofactors for Mg2+-dependent endonucleases, but also to facilitate the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria, which drives many of the post-mitochondrial, caspase-mediated events in apoptotic cells. (+info)
Merkel cell carcinoma and melanoma: etiological similarities and differences.
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Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) of the skin and cutaneous malignant melanoma can now be compared epidemiologically through the use of population-based data not previously available for MCC. The results may provide new clues to etiology. In this study, United States data covered by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program were from nine areas of the United States (approximately 10% of the population). In 1986-1994, 425 cases of MCC were registered. The annual age-adjusted incidence per 100,000 of MCC was 0.23 for whites and 0.01 for blacks; among whites, the ratio of melanoma to MCC was approximately 65 to 1. Only 5% of MCC occurred before age 50, unlike the lifelong risk of nodular and superficial spreading melanoma. Regional incidence rates of both cancers increased similarly with increasing sun exposure as measured by the UVB solar index. The most sun-exposed anatomical site, the face, was the location of 36% of MCC but only 14% of melanoma. Both cancers increased in frequency and aggressiveness after immunosuppression and organ transplantation (36 cases from the Cincinnati Transplant Tumor registry and 12 from published case reports) and after B-cell neoplasia (5 cases in this study; 13 from case series in the literature). The SEER data contained reports of six patients with both types of cancer; 5 melanomas before the diagnosis of MCC and 1 after diagnosis. MCC and melanoma are similarly related to sun exposure and immunosuppression, but they differ markedly from one another in their distributions by age, race, and anatomical site, especially the face. (+info)
Immunoglobulin VH gene expression among extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphomas of the ocular adnexa.
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PURPOSE: Most lymphomas of the ocular adnexa are primary extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the B-cell type, with the most common lymphoma subtype being the extranodal marginal-zone B-cell lymphoma (EMZL). Analysis of somatic mutations in the variable (V) region of the Ig heavy (H)-chain gene segment suggests that EMZL development in other locations is dependent on antigen stimulation. The purpose of this study was to analyze the presence of somatic hypermutations in clonally rearranged Ig H-chain V genes of this lymphoma entity in the ocular adnexa and to estimate whether the mutation pattern is compatible with antigen selection. METHODS: Twenty-six cases of EMZL of the ocular adnexa were diagnosed on the basis of morphology, histology, and immunohistology. A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on DNA extracted from paraffin sections. The isolated PCR products were sequenced and compared with published VH germline segments to determine the number of somatic mutations in the complementarity-determining region (CDR) 2 and framework (FW) region 3. RESULTS: The number of somatic mutations in the cases of EMZL varied between 0 and 24: Five cases involved 0 to 3 somatic mutations, and the remaining 21 cases involved 4 to 24 mutations. Based on the ratio of replacement (R) to silent (S) mutations in the CDR2 or FW3 regions, antigen selection seems to have occurred in 60% of ocular adnexal EMZL. The VH3 family was the most commonly expressed germline VH family (54%), followed by VH4 (23%), with biased usage of the latter. Some germline VH1 genes used included DP-8, DP-10, DP-53, DP-63 (VH4.21), and DP-49, which are frequently used by autoantibodies (e.g., rheumatoid factors) and natural autoantibodies. CONCLUSIONS: EMZLs of the ocular adnexa have an Ig H-chain mutation pattern that supports the concept that they represent a clonal expansion of post-germinal-center memory B-cells in most instances. In two thirds of cases, antigen selection may have occurred, and autoantibodies may have a role in their development. (+info)
Angiogenesis extent and macrophage density increase simultaneously with pathological progression in B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.
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Node biopsies of 30 benign lymphadenopathies and 71 B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (B-NHLs) were investigated for microvessel and macrophage counts using immunohistochemistry and morphometric analysis. Both counts were significantly higher in B-NHL. Moreover, when these were grouped into low-grade and high-grade lymphomas, according to the Kiel classification and Working Formulation (WF), statistically significant higher counts were found in the high-grade tumours. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy revealed a close spatial association between microvessels and macrophages. Overall, the results suggest that, in analogy to what has already been shown in solid tumours, angiogenesis occurring in B-NHLs increases with tumour progression, and that macrophages promote the induction of angiogenesis via the release of their angiogenic factors. (+info)
Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma: a clinicopathologic study of 43 patients from the Nebraska Lymphoma Study Group.
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PURPOSE: To investigate whether primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMLBL) is a distinct clinicopathologic entity with a more aggressive course than other diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients with CD20-positive DLBL who presented with a mediastinal mass measuring at least 5.0 cm and were treated with curative intent were identified. A control group of 352 patients with nonmediastinal DLBL was selected for comparison. RESULTS: The 43 patients with PMLBL had a male to female ratio of 20:23 and a median age of 42 years. Stage I/II disease was present in 58% of the patients, with only 9% having bone marrow involvement. A complete remission was achieved in 63% of the patients, and the 5-year overall and failure-free survivals were 46% and 38%, respectively. Among the clinical variables, an elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase level, a low performance score, more than one extranodal site, and an intermediate or high International Prognostic Index score were predictive of poor survival. When compared with the DLBL group, a younger median age was the only clinical feature that was significantly different in the PMLBL group. CONCLUSION: The clinical features of PMLBL do not appear to be significantly different from those of nonmediastinal DLBL. Although the younger age of onset, slight female predominance, mediastinal location, and size of the mass may justify the recognition of PMLBL as a clinical syndrome, additional evidence is needed to define it as a distinct disease entity. (+info)
Cancer dormancy. VII. A regulatory role for CD8+ T cells and IFN-gamma in establishing and maintaining the tumor-dormant state.
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Dormant tumor cells resistant to ablative cancer therapy represent a significant clinical obstacle due to later relapse. Experimentally, the murine B cell lymphoma (BCL1) is used as a model of tumor dormancy in mice vaccinated with the BCL1 Ig. Here, we used this model to explore the cellular mechanisms underlying dormancy. Our previous studies have demonstrated that T cell-mediated immunity is an important component in the regulation of tumor dormancy because Id-immune T cells adoptively transferred into passively immunized SCID mice challenged with BCL1 cells significantly increased the incidence and duration of the dormant state. We have extended these observations and demonstrate that CD8+, but not CD4+, T cells are required for the maintenance of dormancy in BCL1 Ig-immunized BALB/c mice. In parallel studies, the transfer of Id-immune CD8+ cells, but not Id-immune CD4+ cells, conferred significant protection to SCID mice passively immunized with nonprotective levels of polyclonal anti-Id and then challenged with BCL1 cells. Furthermore, the ability of CD8+ T cells to induce a state of dormancy in passively immunized SCID mice was completely abrogated by treatment with neutralizing alpha-IFN-gamma mAbs in vivo. In vitro studies demonstrated that IFN-gamma alone or in combination with reagents to cross-link the surface Ig induced both cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in a BCL1 cell line. Collectively, these data demonstrate a role for CD8+ T cells via endogenous production of IFN-gamma in collaboration with humoral immunity to both induce and maintain a state of tumor dormancy. (+info)
Histopathologic features and expression of Bcl-2 and p53 proteins in primary gastric lymphomas.
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The aim of this study is to present a histopathologic and immunohistochemical analysis of primary gastric lymphomas which were reclassified according to the concept of mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). The resected specimens from 41 patients with primary gastric lymphoma were investigated retrospectively. Immunohistochemical study was done to analyze the immunophenotype and bcl-2 and p53 proteins expression. Twenty three of the cases had tumors mainly located in the antrum. Histologically, 12 were low grade and 20 were high grade B-cell lymphoma of MALT, 9 other B-cell nonHodgkin's lymphomas. Helicobacter pylori was identified in 72% of the cases. According to Musshoff's modification, most of the MALT lymphoma cases had stage I or II disease. There was significant difference between low and high grade cases, in respect to depth of invasion in gastric wall. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells in all MALT lymphomas expressed B-cell phenotype. Bcl-2 protein was found to be expressed in 59% and p53 protein expression was detected in 72% of cases. Among the B-cell lymphoma of MALT, bcl-2 positivity decreased and p53 positivity increased significantly as the histological grade advanced. So, an inverse correlation was observed between the expression of bcl-2 and p53. In conclusion, most primary gastric lymphomas are low or high grade B-cell MALT lymphomas and appear to arise in MALT acquired as a reaction to Helicobacter pylori infection. Expression of bcl-2 and p53 in gastric lymphomas may be associated with transformation from low-grade to high-grade disease. (+info)
Presentation of antigens internalized through the B cell receptor requires newly synthesized MHC class II molecules.
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Exogenous Ags taken up from the fluid phase can be presented by both newly synthesized and recycling MHC class II molecules. However, the presentation of Ags internalized through the B cell receptor (BCR) has not been characterized with respect to whether the class II molecules with which they become associated are newly synthesized or recycling. We show that the presentation of Ag taken up by the BCR requires protein synthesis in splenic B cells and in B lymphoma cells. Using B cells transfected with full-length I-Ak molecules or molecules truncated in cytoplasmic domains of their alpha- or beta-chains, we further show that when an Ag is internalized by the BCR, the cytoplasmic tails of class II molecules differentially control the presentation of antigenic peptides to specific T cells depending upon the importance of proteolytic processing in the production of that peptide. Integrity of the cytoplasmic tail of the I-Ak beta-chain is required for the presentation of the hen egg lysozyme determinant (46-61) following BCR internalization, but that dependence is not seen for the (34-45) determinant derived from the same protein. The tail of the beta-chain is also of importance for the dissociation of invariant chain fragments from class II molecules. Our results demonstrate that Ags internalized through the BCR are targeted to compartments containing newly synthesized class II molecules and that the tails of class II beta-chains control the loading of determinants produced after extensive Ag processing. (+info)