Notch1 in primary effusion lymphoma: A clinicopathological study

Huan You Wang, Franklin S. Fuda, Weina Chen, Nitin J. Karandikar

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

Primary effusion lymphoma is a human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8)-associated large cell lymphoma of body cavities. Detailed large-scale clinicopathological studies are rarely reported, and the underlying mechanism of lymphomagenesis remains elusive. In the present report, we studied the clinicodemographic, immunophenotypic, and cytomorphological features on a cohort of 12 cases of primary effusion lymphoma. In contrast to HHV-8, which was positive in all nine cases tested (100%), HIV was found in 75% (9/12) of cases, whereas the three HIV-negative cases were either in elderly patients (one with hepatitis C virus infection and one with asbestoses exposure) or in a heart transplantation recipient. By flow cytometry, the antigens expressed in descending order were CD38, CD71, HLA-DR, CD30, and CD45RO. B-cell markers were largely negative. Cytomorphologically, all cases showed atypical to anaplastic morphology. Notch1, a member of transmembrane signal transduction family, was found in six of seven HHV-8-positive cases (86%). In agreement with in vitro studies using human primary effusion lymphoma cell lines, we have found that Notch1 was expressed in the majority of HHV-8-positive primary effusion lymphoma cases, corroborating the notion that Notch1 may have an important role in HHV-8-mediated lymphomagenesis of primary effusion lymphoma.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)773-780
Number of pages8
JournalModern Pathology
Volume23
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2010

Keywords

  • Human herpes virus 8
  • Notch1
  • Primary effusion lymphoma

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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