p52 Activation in monomorphic B-cell posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder/diffuse large B-cell lymphoma without BAFF-R expression

Am J Pathol. 2011 Oct;179(4):1630-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.07.003. Epub 2011 Aug 24.

Abstract

Posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) are associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and activate the NF-κB pathway. B-cell activating factor (BAFF) modulates cell growth and survival in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. However, there are few studies of EBV, BAFF/BAFF-R signaling, and NF-κB1 and NF-κB2 pathway activation in PTLD. Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) in two different clinical contexts, immunocompetent patients (DLBCL/IC; n = 30) or posttransplantation solid-organ recipients (DLBCL/PTLD; n = 21), were characterized histogenically as germinal center (GC) or non-germinal center (NGC). Expression of BAFF, BAFF-R, and NF-κB proteins p50 and p52 and the presence or absence of EBV were compared in these clinical contexts. Regardless of the GC or NGC pattern of DLBCL, BAFF-R was expressed in 37% of DLBCL/IC but in only 4.8% of DLBCL/PTLD. p52 was expressed in DLBCL/PTLD/NGC (12 of 19 cases) as compared with DLBCL/IC/NGC (0 of 18 cases). This pattern might be related to the presence of EBV and latent membrane protein 1 because p52 expression was observed primarily in EBV-positive DLBCL/PTLD cases expressing latent membrane protein 1. Thus, the activation profile or NGC pattern of DLBCL/PTLD was not associated with BAFF/BAFF-R expression, whereas nuclear p52 related to NF-κB2 pathway activation might be linked to EBV.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • B-Cell Activating Factor / metabolism
  • B-Cell Activation Factor Receptor / metabolism*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Infant
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / etiology*
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / metabolism*
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / pathology
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / virology
  • Lymphoproliferative Disorders / etiology*
  • Lymphoproliferative Disorders / metabolism*
  • Lymphoproliferative Disorders / pathology
  • Lymphoproliferative Disorders / virology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • NF-kappa B p52 Subunit / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Transplantation / adverse effects*

Substances

  • B-Cell Activating Factor
  • B-Cell Activation Factor Receptor
  • NF-kappa B p52 Subunit
  • TNFRSF13C protein, human
  • TNFSF13B protein, human